MOBILITY
Rl0Af
Rl0Af
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
THE<br />
<strong>MOBILITY</strong><br />
THE MAGAZINE OF AIR <strong>MOBILITY</strong> COMMAND | FALL 2015<br />
FORUM<br />
Proactive Safety<br />
Programs on<br />
TRAC<br />
When<br />
You Hurt:<br />
A Military Crisis Line<br />
Worker Shares Her<br />
Experience<br />
AMC WELCOMES<br />
NEW COMMANDER
THE<br />
THE<br />
<strong>MOBILITY</strong><br />
THE MAGAZINE OF AIR <strong>MOBILITY</strong> COMMAND<br />
FORUM<br />
CONTENTS THE <strong>MOBILITY</strong> FORUM<br />
Volume 24, No. 3<br />
Fall 2015<br />
AIR <strong>MOBILITY</strong> COMMAND<br />
3 10 18 26 28<br />
AMC NEWS<br />
3 AMC Welcomes New<br />
Commander<br />
4 It’s All About the TEAM!<br />
16 As Test Flights Resume,<br />
AMC Prepares for Pegasus<br />
17 New Airman’s Manual Available<br />
18 AMC’s Role in the War on Ebola<br />
34 Tankers Fuel the War on Terror<br />
FLIGHT SAFETY<br />
6 Line Operations Safety<br />
Audit Benefits Entire<br />
Mobility Air Force<br />
12 It’s Going to Be a Rough Ride<br />
22 Weather Impacts on Mission<br />
Execution and Safety<br />
RISK MANAGEMENT<br />
8 Proactive Safety Programs<br />
on TRAC<br />
24 Prevent Mishaps by Taking<br />
Responsibility<br />
32 Crosstalk: Preventing<br />
Mishaps Left of Launch<br />
FIRE SAFETY<br />
10 Keeping Fires in Check<br />
SEASONAL<br />
CONSIDERATIONS<br />
14 1954: What’s in a Name?<br />
SAFETY CULTURE<br />
30 The 360° of Safety: Know<br />
Your Safety Circle<br />
MOTORCYCLE CULTURE<br />
26 A Unique Opportunity<br />
for Riders at Joint Base<br />
Charleston<br />
SUICIDE PREVENTION<br />
28 When You Hurt: A Military<br />
Crisis Line Worker Shares<br />
Her Experience<br />
REGULAR FEATURES<br />
20 Center Spread: On Target<br />
Preparing Airmen for<br />
Hunting Season<br />
36 Mishap-Free Flying<br />
Hour Milestones<br />
39 Quickstoppers<br />
40 A Day in the Life<br />
ON THE COVER<br />
SrA Ralph Colas, 37th AS loadmaster,<br />
waits for a green light to drop four pallets of<br />
supplies out of a C-130J Super Hercules over<br />
Kosovo during an airdrop training exercise.<br />
USAF photo by A1C tryphenA MAyhUgh<br />
DIRECTOR OF SAFETY<br />
Col Michael R. Seiler<br />
michael.seiler@us.af.mil<br />
EDITORS<br />
Kim Brumley<br />
Sherrie Schatz<br />
Sheree Lewis<br />
sheree.lewis@schatzpublishing.com<br />
Graphic Design<br />
Elizabeth Bailey<br />
The Mobility Forum (TMF) is published four<br />
times a year by the Director of Safety, Air<br />
Mobility Command, Scott AFB, IL. The contents<br />
are informative and not regulatory or<br />
directive. Viewpoints expressed are those of<br />
the authors and do not necessarily reflect the<br />
policy of AMC, USAF, or any DoD agency.<br />
Contributions: Please email articles and<br />
photos to info@schatzpublishing.com, fax to<br />
(580) 628-2011, or mail to Schatz Publishing,<br />
11950 W. Highland Ave., Blackwell, OK 74631.<br />
For questions call (580) 628-4607. The<br />
editors reserve the right to make editorial<br />
changes to manuscripts.<br />
DE denotes digitally enhanced photo.<br />
Subscriptions:<br />
U.S. Government<br />
Printing Office: 2015-545-114. For sale by<br />
the superintendent of Documents, U.S.<br />
Government Printing Office. Internet:<br />
bookstore.gpo.gov. Phone: toll free (866)<br />
512-1800; DC area (202) 512-1800.<br />
Fax: (202) 512-2104. Mail: Stop IDCC,<br />
Washington, DC 20402-0001.<br />
AMC RP 91-2. Dist: X<br />
ISSN 1067-8999<br />
SOCIAL MEDIA<br />
Stay up-to-date on happenings around AMC via these outlets.<br />
www.facebook.com/theofficialairmobilitycommand<br />
www.twitter.com/airmobilitycmd<br />
www.youtube.com/MobilityAirman<br />
www.flickr.com/photos/MobilityAirmen<br />
www.amc.af.mil/rss/TopStoriesByTab.asp?tabId=112943<br />
TMF ONLINE<br />
Visit www.themobilityforum.net, or find the most<br />
current edition on AMCs homepage:<br />
http://www.amc.af.mil/ or at<br />
http://www.amc.af.mil/mobilityforum.asp.<br />
Comments/Feedback:<br />
mobilityforum@us.af.mil<br />
<strong>MOBILITY</strong><br />
THE MAGAZINE OF AIR <strong>MOBILITY</strong> COMMAND<br />
FORUM<br />
THE<br />
<strong>MOBILITY</strong><br />
THE MAGAZINE OF AIR <strong>MOBILITY</strong> COMMAND<br />
FORUM<br />
THE<br />
<strong>MOBILITY</strong><br />
THE MAGAZINE OF AIR <strong>MOBILITY</strong> COMMAND<br />
FORUM<br />
2<br />
The Mobility Forum
AMC Welcomes<br />
New Commander<br />
Gen Carlton D. Everhart, previously commander of the 18th Air<br />
Force, had a monumental day on July 28th when he received senate<br />
confirmation for his fourth star to become the next AMC commander<br />
at Scott AFB, Illinois.<br />
Gen Everhart graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State<br />
University in 1983. He went on to become a command pilot with more than<br />
4,500 hours in at least 10 different aircraft, including the C-130E, C-17A, and<br />
C-21A. Gen Everhart—who has served at Headquarters Air Education and<br />
Training Command as the Inspector General and as the Deputy Director of<br />
Intelligence, Operations, and Nuclear Integration for Flying Training—was the<br />
Air Force aide to the President and has commanded at the squadron, group,<br />
and wing levels.<br />
Deploying to Afghanistan as the Deputy Commander of Political-Military Affairs,<br />
Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, Gen Everhart was<br />
the direct liaison for the U.S. Ambassador and the Commander, International<br />
Security Assistance Force. He previously commanded the 3d Air Force and 17th<br />
Expeditionary Air Force in Germany, as well as the 618th Air and Space Operations<br />
Center (Tanker Airlift Control Center) at Scott AFB. Since June 2014, he<br />
served as the 18th Air Force’s commander, also at Scott AFB.<br />
Gen Everhart replaces Gen Darren McDew, who was confirmed to be<br />
commander of the U.S. Transportation Command.<br />
Quoting the Secretary of the Air Force at the 2014 Airlift Tanker Association<br />
Symposium, Gen Everhart said, “Air Mobility Airmen shrink the world,” and<br />
adding, “You make the impossible happen—every single day.” Welcome, Gen<br />
Everhart, and congratulations!<br />
Fall 2015 3
It’s All<br />
About the<br />
TEAM!<br />
By MAJ GEN WAYNE SCHATZ,<br />
Vice Commander, AMC<br />
I’m Maj Gen Wayne Schatz and I<br />
moved into the AMC vice commander<br />
seat on June 1. My wife,<br />
Kim, and I wish Lt. Gen. Brooks<br />
Bash and MaryBeth all the best, and<br />
are excited about this new opportunity—we<br />
realize we have some<br />
really big shoes to fill! I’m working<br />
my way through meeting folks in<br />
each directorate and immersing<br />
myself in the details<br />
of AMC these first few<br />
weeks while supporting<br />
Gen McDew. I’m excited<br />
to be back at AMC<br />
leading the very best<br />
Airmen in the world!<br />
As a way of introduction,<br />
people often ask me why I<br />
joined and stayed in the Air<br />
Force for over 32 years. Well,<br />
I wanted to be a pilot from the<br />
time I was in the third grade, so<br />
I set my goals on that—as much<br />
as a person can at that young age.<br />
My father served a few years in the<br />
Air Force, but it was before I was<br />
born, so I did not grow up around<br />
the military. When I was in high<br />
school, a counselor mentioned the<br />
Air Force Academy, and it sounded<br />
like a great way to go to college.<br />
Honestly, at the time, that is all it<br />
was—a way to pay for my education,<br />
just as I’m sure it was for many<br />
of you when you first joined this<br />
great Air Force team. When I<br />
graduated and completed pilot<br />
training, my plan was to serve my<br />
first commitment, and then get out<br />
and go do something else, perhaps<br />
even fly for an airline.<br />
However, one particular event<br />
changed the course of my career.<br />
As a young captain, I had the opportunity<br />
to take 175 Airmen to<br />
Korea and lead them through an<br />
operation readiness inspection.<br />
It was a big deal to me that my<br />
group commander gave me a lot<br />
of responsibility. Bringing the<br />
whole team of maintainers together,<br />
the other support personnel<br />
and the C-130 aircraft—and<br />
delivering successful results—<br />
showed me the Air Force was<br />
more than just flying planes. It<br />
taught me that it takes a T-E-<br />
Airman Leadership students salute the<br />
flag during a flag detail at Scott AFB, Ill.<br />
USAF photo by SrA triStin engliSh<br />
4<br />
The Mobility Forum
AMC NEWS<br />
A-M to deliver the capability we do<br />
for our nation, and being part of that<br />
team changed me.<br />
Along my career path, several leaders<br />
encouraged and mentored me,<br />
including former Chief of Staff of the<br />
Air Force, Gen Norton Schwartz. I<br />
applied the many lessons I learned<br />
from the people I served under when<br />
I was fortunate enough to be a leader<br />
myself. Those people and those<br />
experiences motivated me to keep<br />
going, and they helped shape my<br />
beliefs, expectations, and priorities.<br />
I like to think I also gained a little<br />
wisdom over the years. I certainly<br />
gained perspective, having worked<br />
as a young aircraft commander, a<br />
flight commander, a squadron commander,<br />
a group commander, a wing<br />
commander twice, and now as a<br />
general officer. I know what you go<br />
through on a day-to-day basis, and I<br />
hope to make things better, especially<br />
for Airmen out there on the pointy<br />
end of the spear.<br />
Ours is a critical mission that no<br />
other nation in the world can<br />
match. No one else can deliver<br />
combat capability or humanitarian<br />
assistance halfway around the world<br />
at a moment’s notice. No one else<br />
has the reach of our air refueling<br />
capability. No one else can bring<br />
injured Soldiers, Marines, Sailors,<br />
Airmen, Coast Guardsmen, and<br />
civilians home from overseas so<br />
quickly. We ought to be proud of that<br />
First, focus on our<br />
core values: integrity,<br />
service, and excellence<br />
in all that we do.<br />
capability ... and humbled. I hope I<br />
can apply some of what I’ve learned<br />
to help make sure we accomplish our<br />
mission safely and professionally,<br />
to make sure we take care of our<br />
Airmen and our families while we’re<br />
doing it—and hopefully to have a<br />
little bit of fun on the way.<br />
Our command priorities are to<br />
execute and sustain rapid global<br />
mobility, enhance mobility partnerships,<br />
prepare our mobility forces<br />
for tomorrow, and develop and care<br />
for Airmen and their families. I want<br />
us to provide timely, sound military<br />
advice to AMC and USAF leadership<br />
and stakeholders. I want us to hire<br />
good talent, reward top performers,<br />
and take care of our people. I want<br />
us to strive for excellence and to be<br />
proud of who we are and what we<br />
do. We have much to accomplish,<br />
and we must work as a team to make<br />
things happen. I will do everything<br />
in my power to ensure AMC wings<br />
have what they need to accomplish<br />
their respective missions.<br />
Now for a little advice. If you are just<br />
starting your career and unsure of<br />
what direction to take in the future<br />
(like me, many moons ago), here are<br />
a few words of advice.<br />
First, focus on our core values:<br />
integrity, service, and excellence in<br />
all that we do. We must rely on each<br />
other and our teams. Being able to<br />
trust the people next to you—the<br />
people working on your aircraft—is<br />
key. Our business of air mobility, in<br />
combat and peacetime, is inherently<br />
dangerous. We literally put our lives<br />
in the hands of other Airmen, and<br />
we need to trust each other to do the<br />
right thing, every time.<br />
Also, your word needs to matter. You<br />
must always tell the truth, no matter<br />
how painful it is, or people can<br />
get killed. Focus on being the best<br />
at what you do, whether as a maintainer<br />
or flight engineer or something<br />
else. And volunteer to do things<br />
around the installation. The Air<br />
Force is a community made up of the<br />
people we serve with and the families<br />
that are part of us. Help others, be<br />
engaged in your unit, look for leadership<br />
positions in your squadron, step<br />
out and do a little something extra.<br />
That shows initiative and makes you<br />
stand out from the crowd.<br />
However, don’t look too far ahead<br />
worrying about your next job. Focus<br />
on what you are doing right now, this<br />
minute, and let the folks that mentor<br />
you—your commanders and others—<br />
worry about the future for you. Try to<br />
stay in the moment.<br />
In closing, I want to thank Lt. Gen.<br />
Bash for all of his great work. We will<br />
continue to focus on Ops RAMS and<br />
safe operations. I can’t wait to get to<br />
work, get things done and celebrate<br />
our successes. I look forward to meeting<br />
you along the way if possible.<br />
I am honored and genuinely excited<br />
to be a part of this great command<br />
again. I am here to serve—to support<br />
the Commander and all of the<br />
Airmen of Air Mobility Command.<br />
What we are doing right ... let’s keep<br />
doing. Where we need improvement<br />
... let’s work together to do better.<br />
We are and must continue to be the<br />
best of the best—our Nation depends<br />
on our Team!<br />
Fall 2015 5
Line Operations Safety Audit<br />
Benefits Entire Mobility Air Force<br />
By LT COL KEN PICHA,<br />
AMC Flight Safety<br />
Headquarters Air Mobility<br />
Command Flight Safety<br />
(HQ AMC/SEF) is in the<br />
initial stages of the second<br />
C-130 Line Operations Safety Audit<br />
(LOSA). We completed the first C-130<br />
LOSA in 2011. AMC and the C-130<br />
community will find out in July<br />
2016 how well the recommendations<br />
took hold from that first LOSA. Why<br />
is this important? AMC dedicates<br />
significant resources to complete this<br />
program. While the dedication to the<br />
completion of each LOSA is high, the<br />
paybacks are higher.<br />
A LOSA is conducted during normal<br />
operations to highlight safety<br />
and performance issues before an<br />
incident or accident occurs. The<br />
LOSA Collaborative uses a Threat<br />
and Error Management (TEM)<br />
framework to collect, aggregate<br />
and analyze all LOSA data because<br />
they believe it is the simplest and<br />
most effective way to explain<br />
what crews should do to operate<br />
safely. AMC adopted this proactive<br />
safety program, which is executed<br />
on the entire Mobility Air Force<br />
(MAF) fleet on a rotational basis<br />
(approximately every four to five<br />
years). Observers do not administer<br />
check rides, crewmember names are<br />
not recorded, all data is de-identified<br />
and reports are sent directly from<br />
observers to the contractor for<br />
analysis. There are several phases of<br />
a LOSA, and the C-130 LOSA phase<br />
dates (approximate) are as follows:<br />
1. Contract Phase: May 2015<br />
2. Codebook Write Phase:<br />
August 2015<br />
3. Observation Phase: October/<br />
November 2015<br />
4. Data Roundtable Phase:<br />
February or March 2016<br />
5. Safety Investigation Board (SIB)<br />
and AMC Commander Out<br />
Brief Phase: June or July 2016<br />
The first of the two biggest impacts is<br />
the observation phase. These observations<br />
are a critical component and<br />
are conducted by LOSA observers.<br />
AMC will use 20 observer pilots and<br />
eight observer loadmasters from the<br />
Guard, Reserves, and Active Duty.<br />
Observers will travel from their units<br />
to begin LOSA work and be on the<br />
road for 45 days.<br />
All observers are experienced<br />
crewmembers in their respective<br />
aircraft and position. They fly on<br />
worldwide missions strictly as an<br />
observer. They take notes on threats<br />
and errors the crew encounters<br />
during a mission, but they do not<br />
interfere with crew duties before,<br />
during, or after the flight. While<br />
the role of the observer is vital, the<br />
aircraft commander still has the<br />
final call to allow the observer on<br />
board. If you were around during<br />
the first C-130 observation or<br />
heard from other individuals who<br />
were observed, you know that the<br />
observers are truly on board only to<br />
collect data and nothing else.<br />
The second of the big impacts to<br />
the C-130 community occurs when<br />
the AMC Commander (AMC/CC)<br />
convenes the Safety Investigation<br />
Board (SIB) to work through<br />
the LOSA data provided by the<br />
contractor and to compile actionable<br />
findings and recommendations.<br />
The SIB takes a “deep dive” into<br />
the data to build the story and uses<br />
supporting documentation to create<br />
a final safety report. When it is<br />
complete, SIB conducts the out brief.<br />
AMC Safety will send out a<br />
solicitation message for SIB members<br />
on behalf of the AMC/CC in the<br />
spring of 2016. In it, you will notice<br />
requirements very similar to the<br />
observation message, but you will<br />
also see the need for a colonel board<br />
president (BP). The importance<br />
6<br />
The Mobility Forum
FLIGHT SAFETY<br />
Since AMC first began<br />
LOSA observations, over<br />
1,000 pieces of information have been used to<br />
build a visual depiction of how the MAF is doing<br />
as an enterprise.<br />
A C-130J Super Hercules aircraft takes<br />
off from Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan.<br />
USAF photo by tSgt JoSeph SwAFFord<br />
of a colonel (O-6) BP cannot be<br />
overstated. The O-6 leadership to<br />
the SIB is necessary because the SIB<br />
compiles an executive level briefing<br />
that incorporates the findings and<br />
recommendations; it is given to<br />
the AMC Commander and senior<br />
leaders, all C-130 Unit’s, various HQ<br />
staffs, etc.<br />
Once the report is completed and<br />
the SIB is finished, the rest of the<br />
process is coordinated through the<br />
various equity holders. Without this<br />
coordination and support, many<br />
of the accomplishments of LOSA<br />
would not happen. These accomplishments<br />
impact everyone from<br />
the crews operating the aircraft to<br />
the aerial porter handling loading<br />
operations. Even though the LOSA<br />
year is considered complete after<br />
the SIB report is released, much<br />
work remains.<br />
Since AMC first began LOSA<br />
observations, over 1,000 pieces of<br />
information have been used to build<br />
a visual depiction of how the MAF<br />
is doing as an enterprise. This data<br />
was compiled from a statistical<br />
percentage of worldwide missions<br />
flown by Active Duty, Guard and<br />
Reserve crews. AMC dedicates<br />
significant resources and energy to<br />
complete this program.<br />
The LOSA process takes approximately<br />
a year to complete. Our goal is<br />
to make The MAF flying community<br />
safer, and we are confident we can<br />
succeed with your help and dedication.<br />
Thank you for your patience and<br />
dedication to this effort!<br />
Currently, your Flight Safety<br />
Office can access multiple LOSA<br />
Final Safety Reports through<br />
the Air Force Safety Automated<br />
System (AFSAS). The following<br />
AFSAS reports are available for<br />
safety officers to use for safety<br />
briefings and awareness:<br />
C-17 Pilot: 536587<br />
C-17/C-130 Loadmaster: 926750<br />
C-130 Pilot: 848864<br />
KC-135 Pilot: 325996<br />
KC-10 Pilot: 695727<br />
KC-10 Boom Operator: 249082<br />
KC-135 Boom Operator: 807813<br />
C-5 Flight Deck: 297305<br />
C-5 Loadmaster: 590569<br />
C-21 Pilot: 899579<br />
Fall 2015<br />
7
8<br />
SAP<br />
FOQA<br />
OSA<br />
Proactive Safety<br />
Programs on<br />
TRAC<br />
By MR. TIM GROSZ,<br />
Chief, Operations Risk Assessment and Management System (Ops RAMS)<br />
vORM<br />
RM/TEM<br />
The Mobility Forum<br />
Hopefully, you are aware of<br />
AMC’s proactive safety<br />
programs, which can read<br />
a bit like “alphabet soup.”<br />
i<br />
i<br />
i<br />
ASAP (Aviation Safety Action<br />
Program) is a voluntary, identity<br />
protected, self-reporting system<br />
to identify errors or unsafe<br />
conditions so we can learn from<br />
others’ experiences.<br />
MFOQA (Military Flight Operations<br />
Quality Assurance) is the<br />
analysis and trending of aircraft<br />
system and flight performance<br />
data to enhance combat readiness<br />
through improvements in<br />
operations, maintenance, training,<br />
and safety functions.<br />
LOSA (Line Operations Safety<br />
Audit) is a voluntary crew<br />
observation program developed<br />
to gather safety-related data on<br />
environmental conditions, operational<br />
complexity, and human<br />
factors issues during everyday<br />
operations to increase the overall<br />
safety of daily operations and<br />
optimize the system to work<br />
more safely and effectively.<br />
These three separate programs are<br />
part of AMC’s Operations Risk<br />
Assessment and Management<br />
System (Ops RAMS), but they are<br />
intertwined to guide proactive<br />
mishap prevention efforts across the<br />
Mobility Air Forces (MAF), increase<br />
air mobility effectiveness and ensure<br />
safe mission accomplishment.<br />
Ops RAMS also incorporates<br />
AvORM (Aviation Operations Risk<br />
Management) and CRM/TEM (Crew<br />
Resource Management/Threat<br />
and Error Management) as tools to<br />
enhance safety awareness.<br />
AMC Operations Directorate (A3)<br />
manages ASAP, MFOQA and CRM/
The TRAC takes action, as needed,<br />
to improve operational efficiency<br />
and safety in coordination with other<br />
participating MAF MAJCOMs. Effectively,<br />
the TRAC (1) focuses attention on MAF<br />
operations issues and (2) validates<br />
actions taken.<br />
TEM, while AMC Safety manages<br />
LOSA and AvORM. However,<br />
there is strong mutual interaction.<br />
In fact, during the recent HQ AF<br />
Safety Center inspection, the A3/<br />
Safety collaboration was cited as<br />
a “strength” of AMC Safety. Even<br />
though Ops RAMS is a branch in<br />
HQ AMC A3T, it coordinates all Ops<br />
RAMS programs across MAF units<br />
(including AFRC, ANG, USAFE,<br />
PACAF, and AETC).<br />
The TRAC<br />
The culmination of all this activity<br />
is the Trend Review and Action<br />
Committee (TRAC), chaired by<br />
the AMC Vice Commander and<br />
convening at least quarterly.<br />
Invitations to attend the TRAC<br />
via DCS (Defense Collaboration<br />
Services) or telephone call-in are sent<br />
to all MAF Headquarters and Wings,<br />
and MAJCOM headquarters with<br />
MAF units. HQ AMC Directorates,<br />
18 AF, and the TACC senior leaders<br />
attend in person. An invitation is not<br />
a prerequisite; others may attend as<br />
required. Phone lines are unlimited<br />
with no restrictions, but we ask units<br />
to consolidate attendance via DCS as<br />
much as possible due to bandwidth.<br />
We discuss issues from the proactive<br />
safety programs and other issues affecting<br />
safe and effective operations.<br />
The TRAC takes action, as needed,<br />
to improve operational efficiency<br />
and safety in coordination with other<br />
participating MAF MAJCOMs. Effectively,<br />
the TRAC (1) focuses attention<br />
on MAF operations issues and (2)<br />
validates actions taken.<br />
For example, ASAP 876 helped<br />
identify existing Combat Offload<br />
weight limitations contained in AFI<br />
11-2C-1130JV3 and T.O. 1-C-130J-1<br />
were insufficient for C-130J-30<br />
aircraft due to the increased<br />
aircraft length. The manufacturer’s<br />
subsequent engineering analysis of<br />
sample conditions indicates the nose<br />
wheel may begin to leave the ground<br />
at lower weights than prescribed.<br />
FCIF 15-01-15 has complete details<br />
on this issue and imposes restrictions<br />
until new weights are validated.<br />
After receiving several ASAP reports<br />
from tanker crews experiencing<br />
difficulties during Coronet execution,<br />
TACC and AMC Standards and<br />
Evaluations established revised<br />
SPINS detailing significant changes<br />
to crew contact procedures and prelaunch<br />
responsibilities, in addition to<br />
delineated timelines from 72 hours<br />
prior to launch and from launch<br />
through post-mission.<br />
At the May 2015 TRAC, we<br />
discussed ASAP submissions<br />
concerning loss of AERO-I link in<br />
the C-5 (also an observation during<br />
the C-5 LOSA). ASAP reports lacked<br />
enough information to determine the<br />
source of the problem, which could<br />
be satellite coverage, equipment<br />
issues, or antenna problems. The<br />
problem could also be present in<br />
RISK MANAGEMENT<br />
several MDSs. Thus, HQ AMC is<br />
developing a method to capture<br />
data link communication issues<br />
for all airframes, allowing a multifunctional<br />
investigation across<br />
the enterprise (avionics, service<br />
provider, etc.) and analysis to isolate<br />
and identify the problem(s).<br />
Two C-17 -related issues were<br />
disclosed. Several ASAPs and<br />
mishap investigations revealed<br />
ongoing issues with incorrect and<br />
malfunctioning fuel totalizers.<br />
Interim procedures were established<br />
or are in the works as Boeing and the<br />
SPO create a final solution. 1SS-258<br />
was released to address fuel issues<br />
during flight, and 1-4SS addressed<br />
weight verification WRT personnel<br />
airdrop. In addition, AMC staff is<br />
preparing guidance to address fuel<br />
issues before aircrews show up at the<br />
aircraft to ensure they know exactly<br />
how much fuel is on board before<br />
takeoff. Also, problems with RNAV<br />
STARs, SIDs, and other terminal<br />
instrument procedures with missing<br />
points in the database or incomplete<br />
routing surfaced. There is a problem<br />
with “Fix-to-Manual” legs, which<br />
will be corrected with Block 20 and<br />
21 upgrades from FY2016 through<br />
FY2022 (approximately 33 aircraft<br />
per year). In the meantime, AMC<br />
Standards and Evaluations is<br />
working to issue guidance.<br />
If you are thinking about attending<br />
the TRAC, do so! Join us as we engage<br />
in healthy discussions while we<br />
continue to promulgate our proactive<br />
safety programs further.<br />
FOR MORE INFORMATION<br />
Contact the Ops RAMS<br />
office at DSN 779-2422 or<br />
a3.opsrams@us.af.mil.<br />
Fall 2015<br />
9
MAFFS 6, a C130J from the 146th AW in Port<br />
Hueneme, Calif., drops a line of retardant over<br />
the trees in the mountains above Palm Springs<br />
on July 19, 2013.<br />
Air nAtionAl gUArd photo by SrA niCholAS CArziS<br />
Keeping<br />
Fires in<br />
Check<br />
By MSGT JULIE MEINTEL,<br />
445th Wing Historian<br />
When I think about fire<br />
prevention, I think<br />
of a couple of things:<br />
first, I remember<br />
that I should check the batteries in<br />
my smoke detectors when Daylight<br />
Saving Time changes, and I think<br />
about Smokey the Bear in those commercials<br />
when I was a kid, telling me<br />
that I could prevent forest fires.<br />
When those fires can’t be prevented,<br />
call 911 or your local fire department.<br />
If it’s bigger than that, call MAFFS!<br />
In the early 1970s, Congress decided<br />
to do something to bolster the<br />
abilities of local fire departments.<br />
They wanted to combine the strength<br />
of local resources with the flexibility<br />
and equipment of the military,<br />
adding another layer to the nation’s<br />
ability to fight fire. The result was<br />
the MAFFS (Modular Airborne Fire<br />
Fighting System) program—for<br />
when wildfires overwhelm other<br />
existing resources. It is a team<br />
effort: the U.S. Forest Service (USFS)<br />
owns the fire-fighting systems and<br />
the Department of Defense (DoD)<br />
owns the C-130 aircraft that provide<br />
the transportation, aircrews, and<br />
maintenance and support personnel.<br />
The USFS then reimburses the DoD<br />
for all costs associated with MAFFS.<br />
MAFFS functions as a branch of the<br />
USFS, which contracts with private<br />
companies to provide air tankers<br />
that drop fire retardant on wildfires.<br />
When wildfire season is at its peak<br />
and all other fire-fighting resources<br />
are already committed, MAFFS<br />
crews and their military C-130 H<br />
and J model aircraft come in. MAFFS<br />
are portable delivery systems that<br />
can be loaded right into the aircraft<br />
without needing to change the<br />
whole structure of the aircraft. The<br />
C-130s are converted into air tankers<br />
when they get the call, usually from<br />
emergency management agencies<br />
or the governor of an affected state.<br />
MAFFS are an important component<br />
of the USFS, because they are a way<br />
for the USFS to perform a “surge”<br />
when fires are burning out of control<br />
10<br />
The Mobility Forum
FIRE SAFETY<br />
and every asset is already on the<br />
scene. Other factors come into play<br />
when calling in MAFFS, but the<br />
biggest one is simply that existing<br />
assets are just not enough.<br />
These systems and aircraft are<br />
known as a 24-hour asset, meaning<br />
it takes at least 24 hours for them<br />
to be ready to go. These planes and<br />
crews are not solely dedicated to<br />
fighting fires; they must be called<br />
back from their regular duty,<br />
configured with MAFFS equipment,<br />
and then get to the fire. Planes and<br />
crews are generally on location<br />
and ready to fight fires within 36<br />
hours of receiving orders, while the<br />
interagency agreement between the<br />
USFS and DoD allows for 48 hours.<br />
Eight MAFFS are ready for use and<br />
four C-130 units are trained to fly<br />
the missions: the 153rd Airlift Wing<br />
(Wyoming Air National Guard), the<br />
145th Airlift Wing (North Carolina<br />
National Guard), the 146th Airlift<br />
Wing (California Air National<br />
Guard), and the 302nd Airlift Wing<br />
(Air Force Reserve).<br />
Since MAFFS crews are all Guard or<br />
Reserve crews, the experience level<br />
and number of flight hours is high,<br />
averaging 3,500 flight hours in each<br />
crew position. Most pilots spent<br />
several years on active duty before<br />
transferring, so those 3,500 hours<br />
are not necessarily all MAFFS hours.<br />
Crews receive specialized classroom<br />
and flight training on MAFFS<br />
equipment and procedures, along<br />
with standard C-130 flight training.<br />
Conditions for fire-fighting missions<br />
are dangerous; crews must fly the<br />
aircraft low, slow, and heavy near<br />
wildfires. Typically, MAFFS crews<br />
do not directly fight the fires; they<br />
slow the growth of wildfires so that<br />
firefighters on the ground can build<br />
containment lines around them.<br />
MAFFS can discharge their entire<br />
3,000-pound load of fire retardant<br />
right out the back of the airplane in<br />
less than five seconds, covering an<br />
area a quarter-mile long by 100 feet<br />
wide. They also make variable drops<br />
(depending on the situation) and can<br />
refill the systems in 10-12 minutes.<br />
This versatile fire-fighting system has<br />
definitely proven its value. In recent<br />
years, military C-130s equipped with<br />
MAFFS have delivered approximately<br />
8.5 million gallons of retardant on<br />
wildfires, an average of about 850,000<br />
gallons per year.<br />
In 2011, the U.S. Forest Service<br />
switched from the original MAFFS<br />
systems, which were designed<br />
in the 1970s, to a newer version.<br />
The old MAFFS are now known<br />
as “Legacy” systems and are used<br />
mostly as spares until their service<br />
life ends. The newer MAFFS II rely<br />
less on ground equipment and are<br />
A C-130 Hercules from the 302d AW, Peterson<br />
AFB, Colo., makes a water drop over New<br />
Mexico during annual Modular Airborne Fire<br />
Fighting System (MAFFS) training.<br />
USAF photo by tSgt riCk SForzA<br />
self-contained units. This enables<br />
them to use existing tanker bases<br />
and reduce flight time to and from<br />
fires. It’s more efficient, takes less<br />
time, and saves money. Win! The<br />
fire retardant is more environmentally<br />
friendly and more concentrated,<br />
thus more effective in drawing<br />
containment lines.<br />
About 75,000 wildfires burn an<br />
average of more than 6.5 million<br />
acres of land across the United<br />
States every year. These fires leave<br />
a trail of destruction in their wake;<br />
they demolish personal property,<br />
cause significant physical harm,<br />
and are often fatal. While local and<br />
state departments do their best,<br />
a little extra help comes in handy<br />
sometimes. As long as wildfires<br />
burn, MAFFS will continue to<br />
work to put them out as quickly as<br />
possible—minimizing damage and<br />
saving lives.<br />
Fall 2015<br />
11
It’s Going to Be a<br />
By MSGT JULIE MEINTEL, 445th Wing Historian<br />
One of the best things<br />
about living in<br />
southwest Ohio is the<br />
change in seasons.<br />
We have a joke here that I suspect<br />
most regions say about their own<br />
weather: “If you don’t like the<br />
weather here, just wait 10 minutes;<br />
it’ll change!” And change it does.<br />
Weather changes go hand in hand<br />
with the changes in seasons,<br />
and that shift is often felt in the<br />
air as well as on the ground.<br />
Unpredictable weather means<br />
unstable air in many instances,<br />
and knowing what to expect<br />
makes any trip smoother. The<br />
turning seasons are a great time to<br />
think about what kinds of weather<br />
you are likely to encounter and to<br />
ensure you’re<br />
ready for whatever conditions you<br />
find out there.<br />
Turbulence is defined by AFH<br />
11-203, Vol II, Weather for Aircrews,<br />
as “a weather disturbance caused<br />
by abrupt, small-scale variations in<br />
wind speed and direction.”<br />
Although the regulation says<br />
“small-scale,” those variations<br />
don’t always feel small when<br />
you’re trying to fly through them.<br />
And when you are trying to<br />
explain the turbulence in the<br />
air to another nearby pilot or to<br />
air traffic controllers, do they<br />
understand what you mean?<br />
Classifying turbulence can be<br />
tough. For newer pilots who<br />
may not have experienced much<br />
turbulence, there may not be a<br />
frame of reference. Also, bumpy<br />
air feels different in different types<br />
of aircraft. A smaller, lighter plane<br />
is going to get tossed around more<br />
easily than a big, fully loaded<br />
cargo jet. To try to alleviate some<br />
of the confusion, the aviation<br />
community came up with<br />
standard categories of turbulence<br />
so all flyers would have a common<br />
basis of understanding. These<br />
categories are the same in military<br />
and civilian flying, so everyone is<br />
speaking the same language.<br />
Official categories of<br />
turbulence severity:<br />
Light turbulence:<br />
Momentarily causes slight,<br />
erratic changes in altitude and/<br />
or attitude (pitch, roll, yaw).<br />
Light chop: Slight, rapid, and<br />
somewhat rhythmic bumpiness<br />
without appreciable changes<br />
in altitude or attitude.<br />
Moderate turbulence:<br />
Similar to light turbulence but<br />
of greater intensity. Changes<br />
in altitude and/or attitude<br />
occur but the aircraft remains<br />
in positive control at all times.<br />
It usually causes variations in<br />
indicated airspeed.<br />
Moderate chop: Turbulence<br />
similar to light chop but of<br />
greater intensity which causes<br />
rapid bumps or jolts without<br />
appreciable change in aircraft<br />
altitude or attitude.<br />
Severe turbulence: Causes<br />
large abrupt changes in altitude<br />
and/or attitude. It usually<br />
causes large variation in indicated<br />
airspeed, and the aircraft<br />
becomes very hard to control.<br />
Extreme turbulence:<br />
Aircraft is violently tossed<br />
about and crew is incapable<br />
of controlling it. Large<br />
sudden changes in altitude<br />
and/or attitude take place.<br />
Extreme turbulence can and<br />
often does cause structural<br />
damage to aircraft.<br />
12<br />
The Mobility Forum
FLIGHT SAFETY<br />
What causes turbulence, and where are you going to find it?<br />
Opposing currents of air in a<br />
localized area cause convective<br />
turbulence; one draft rises while<br />
<br />
the other is<br />
descending. The<br />
descending current<br />
is usually spread out over a wider<br />
area, so it tends to move more slowly<br />
than the rising air. You typically<br />
find this at lower altitudes on hot<br />
summer afternoons with a light<br />
wind blowing. If there are cumulus<br />
or cumulonimbus clouds in the<br />
area, you should look for convective<br />
turbulence underneath them. The<br />
clouds form as the air cools to<br />
saturation on its way upward. Once<br />
you get above the clouds, it should<br />
be smooth sailing!<br />
Mechanical turbulence comes<br />
from surface air flowing over rough<br />
terrain or other obstacles like trees,<br />
buildings or hills. These obstacles<br />
can turn normally flowing air into a<br />
whirling vortex that is carried along<br />
with the rest of the wind flow.<br />
Mountain wave turbulence is<br />
caused by wind blowing across<br />
the top of a mountain range. It’s<br />
most common over high mountain<br />
ranges but any range or ridgeline<br />
can produce this bumpiness. Wind<br />
direction and velocity may vary, but<br />
the most severe waves occur when<br />
strong winds blow perpendicular to<br />
the mountains.<br />
Clear air turbulence is selfexplanatory:<br />
it occurs at higher<br />
altitudes in areas that may look<br />
perfectly clear, with no visible clouds<br />
or other indicators that there is<br />
turbulent air in the vicinity. You find<br />
clear air turbulence in the clouds as<br />
well, so don’t think of the name as a<br />
hard and fast rule.<br />
Wake/vortex turbulence is also<br />
self-explanatory. All aircraft in flight<br />
generate vortices at their wingtips<br />
that counter-rotate. Vortices strength<br />
depends a lot on the weight and<br />
speed of the aircraft, plus the shape<br />
of the wings. Wake turbulence not<br />
only interferes with safety of flight,<br />
but it can also damage aircraft components<br />
and equipment if you get<br />
too close, so be aware of how close<br />
you are to nearby aircraft.<br />
So what do we do about turbulence?<br />
The first and easiest answer is to<br />
avoid the more severe weather if<br />
you can. Light chop isn’t going to<br />
ruin anyone’s day, but severe turbulence<br />
could definitely have serious<br />
consequences! Talk to ATC (air traffic<br />
control) and let them know what<br />
you are experiencing, and give frequent<br />
PIREPS (pilot reports) about<br />
weather conditions in your immediate<br />
vicinity. ATC should be able to<br />
route you around bad weather and<br />
PIREPS let other nearby crews know<br />
what to expect.<br />
Encountering turbulence can cause<br />
anything from a gentle rocking to<br />
serious structural damage to the<br />
airframe. It can also physically<br />
affect the crew, startling you to<br />
the point where you have delayed<br />
reaction times, causing sensory<br />
illusions, or making it harder to read<br />
instruments. The best thing you can<br />
do is to know what to look for and<br />
what to do when you encounter<br />
turbulence, and to help others who<br />
are flying around you. Avoid it to<br />
the greatest extent possible, and help<br />
other pilots to avoid it, too.<br />
These are the broad strokes. To get<br />
more detailed information and see<br />
what these weather conditions look<br />
like, crack open AFH 11-203, Vol II,<br />
and flip to Chapter 9.<br />
Fall 2015<br />
13
1954: What’s in a Name?<br />
By MS. RITA HESS, Staff Writer<br />
The year 1954 gave us names<br />
that eventually became wellknown<br />
for great reasons,<br />
such as Denzel Washington,<br />
Condoleezza Rice, and Oprah<br />
Winfrey. But that year also generated<br />
other names—such as Carol, Gilda,<br />
and Hazel—that made headlines<br />
because of the death and destruction<br />
associated with them. Fortunately,<br />
the United States Air Force was<br />
ready and able to bring needed relief<br />
back then, just as they are ready and<br />
able today.<br />
This year may also introduce us to<br />
names that become historically linked<br />
to devastation. Will you be ready?<br />
Carol<br />
On the morning of August 31, 1954,<br />
Hurricane Carol swept northward<br />
across eastern Long Island and central<br />
New England, leaving 55 people<br />
dead and $500 million in property<br />
damage in six states. The storm left<br />
two million people without electricity<br />
in New England alone, thus<br />
leaving them without refrigeration<br />
during the height of summer. When<br />
Massachusetts ran out of dry ice, the<br />
governor contacted the Atlantic Division<br />
of the Military Air Transport<br />
Service (MATS).<br />
Two days later, the 18th Air<br />
Transport Squadron at McGuire<br />
AFB, New Jersey, flew a C–54 with<br />
10 tons of dry ice to Boston’s Logan<br />
Airport in Operation Ice Cube. The<br />
cargo plane made two trips, and<br />
officials distributed the refrigerant to<br />
food warehouses and grocery stores,<br />
limiting the spoilage of food supplies<br />
to about a million pounds.<br />
Carol was costly and tough, but<br />
MATS supplied needed relief.<br />
Gilda<br />
The following month, in late<br />
September, Tropical Storm Gilda<br />
formed in the Caribbean Sea. It<br />
moved west and struck the Republic<br />
of Honduras in Central America.<br />
Gilda wasn’t strong enough to<br />
become a hurricane, with highest<br />
winds of 60-70 miles per hour, but<br />
the storm dumped very heavy<br />
rainfall that resulted in disastrous<br />
floods and inundated 680 square<br />
miles of the Sula Valley. Reports<br />
indicate that Gilda killed 29 people,<br />
left approximately 3,000 homeless,<br />
and extensively damaged thousands<br />
of acres of banana plantations.<br />
When the Honduran president and<br />
the U.S. ambassador requested<br />
assistance, President Eisenhower<br />
responded. In what became known as<br />
Operation Salud, the Caribbean Air<br />
Command (the Air Force component<br />
of the Caribbean Command, later<br />
designated as the USAF Southern<br />
Command) used 10 of its C–47<br />
aircraft to deliver 50 tons of food,<br />
medical supplies, emergency rafts,<br />
and water purification equipment.<br />
Again, the United States Air Force<br />
answered the call—as always<br />
before—even when the crisis wasn’t<br />
on our shores.<br />
Hazel<br />
On Columbus Day a few weeks<br />
later, Hurricane Hazel set her<br />
sights on southwestern Haiti in<br />
the southeastern Caribbean. The<br />
National Oceanic and Atmospheric<br />
Association (NOAA) reported<br />
an estimated death toll in Haiti<br />
of between 400 and 1,000 people,<br />
including 200 people buried in<br />
landslides. High tides and 115 mile<br />
per hour winds left 100,000 people<br />
homeless and thousands more in<br />
need of food and medical care.<br />
The Haitian government appealed<br />
for international assistance, even as<br />
Hazel raced toward the Bahamas.<br />
At the request of the Caribbean Air<br />
Command, C–119 Flying Boxcars<br />
from the 18th Air Force’s 456th<br />
Troop Carrier Wing began airlifting<br />
food and medical supplies to Haiti.<br />
Because of inadequate landing space,<br />
14<br />
The Mobility Forum
SEASONAL CONSIDERATIONS<br />
All Airmen deserve kudos for their past and<br />
future efforts to help victims of natural disasters<br />
as part of their jobs or as members of an<br />
affected community. THANK YOU!<br />
the aircraft dropped the supplies by<br />
parachute to an area where many<br />
survivors had gathered. Dubbed<br />
Operation Sante, they delivered<br />
tons of food and medical supplies,<br />
and the 28th Air Rescue Squadron’s<br />
H-19 helicopter from Ramey AFB in<br />
Puerto Rico airlifted injured victims<br />
from the area.<br />
After Hazel later ravaged Eleuthera<br />
Island in the Bahamas, the 463d<br />
Troop Carrier Wing again used C-119<br />
Flying Boxcars—this time, to airlift<br />
prefabricated buildings from Texas<br />
to the Bahamas to house homeless<br />
hurricane victims.<br />
Those in Hazel’s path suffered<br />
mightily but were fortunate to<br />
have members of the U.S. Air Force<br />
respond. On a sad note, Hurricane<br />
Hazel went on to devastate North<br />
and South Carolina beaches with<br />
a storm surge of 12–18 feet. In a<br />
170-mile stretch of coastline, it<br />
demolished every pier, and whole<br />
lines of beach homes disappeared.<br />
Some 20 people died in the<br />
Carolinas, and property damage<br />
reached about $163 million.<br />
The name of the game is ...<br />
As interesting as it is to read about<br />
Air Force history, particularly<br />
stories about operations involving<br />
airlifts, the name of the game during<br />
hurricane season is PREPAREDNESS<br />
if you live where these types of<br />
storms occur. This doesn’t just apply<br />
to coastal residents, as tropical<br />
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT:<br />
• Ready.gov: www.ready.gov<br />
• American Red Cross: www.redcross.org/prepare/disaster/hurricane<br />
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:<br />
http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/index.asp<br />
storms and hurricanes spawn<br />
tornadoes and dump heavy rain<br />
hundreds of miles inland. Prepare<br />
your emergency plan today!<br />
C-119 Flying Boxcars from the 456th Troop<br />
Carrier Group deployed to Port-au-Prince,<br />
Haiti, October 1954.<br />
• National Hurricane Center: www.nhc.noaa.gov/prepare/ready.php<br />
To read more accounts of Air Mobility Command missions, go to<br />
http://amcmuseum.org.<br />
Fall 2015<br />
15
KC-46 Pegasus<br />
photo by MoniCA M. wehri<br />
As Test Flights Resume,<br />
AMC Prepares for Pegasus<br />
By LT COL OLIVER K LEEDS<br />
Chief, KC-46, KC-135, KC-10<br />
Requirements<br />
The Boeing KC-46 Pegasus<br />
is a military aerial refueling<br />
and strategic military<br />
transport aircraft developed<br />
by Boeing from its 767 jet<br />
airliner. In February 2011, the tanker<br />
was selected by the United States<br />
Air Force (USAF) as the winner<br />
in the KC-X tanker competition to<br />
replace older KC-135 Stratotankers.<br />
The KC-46A will be able to refuel<br />
any fixed-wing receiver-capable<br />
aircraft on any mission. This aircraft<br />
is equipped with a modernized KC-<br />
10 refueling boom integrated with<br />
a proven fly-by-wire control system<br />
and delivering a fuel offload rate<br />
required for large aircraft. In addition,<br />
the hose and drogue system<br />
adds additional mission capability<br />
that is independently operable from<br />
the refueling boom system.<br />
The first of four aircraft in the engineering<br />
and manufacturing development<br />
phase of the KC-46 Pegasus<br />
program flew for the first time with<br />
Wingtip Air Refueling Pods (WARPS)<br />
The KC-46A will be able<br />
to refuel any fixed-wing<br />
receiver-capable aircraft<br />
on any mission.<br />
and an air refueling boom on June 2,<br />
2015, as part of airworthiness testing.<br />
The aircraft, which is considered a<br />
Boeing 767-2C rather than a KC-46,<br />
first flew (without the WARPS and<br />
boom) in December 2014. A second<br />
test aircraft in the program is nearing<br />
completion and will fly as a fully configured<br />
KC-46A later this summer.<br />
The third and fourth aircraft are also<br />
expected to fly later this year.<br />
“We are looking forward to the first<br />
KC-46 flight later this summer and<br />
getting a new phase of testing underway.<br />
In the meantime, there is no<br />
higher priority for AMC than preparing<br />
to receive the KC-46 Pegasus at<br />
our first Main Operating Base [MOB],<br />
hopefully in late 2016,” said Maj Gen<br />
Michael Stough, Director of Strategic<br />
Plans, Requirements, and Programs<br />
Headquarters Air Mobility Command.<br />
AMC’s preparations include military<br />
construction, aircrew and maintenance<br />
training, technical order<br />
certifications, support equipment<br />
assembly, provisioning of spare parts,<br />
updating manpower documents,<br />
writing Air Force Instructions, and<br />
laying the groundwork for command<br />
and control infrastructure to interface<br />
with the aircraft.<br />
The first MOB is McConnell AFB in<br />
Kansas, which is slated to receive<br />
the next generation tanker in late<br />
2016. Altus AFB in Oklahoma will<br />
also receive the KC-46s around<br />
the same time. Pease Air National<br />
Guard Base in New Hampshire,<br />
which is the second MOB, will<br />
receive aircraft by 2018. Candidates<br />
are still being evaluated for MOB<br />
3, though the Air Force announced<br />
it will be an Air Force Reserve-led<br />
base. By 2027, the Air Force will<br />
receive 179 KC-46s in total.<br />
16<br />
The Mobility Forum
New Airman’s<br />
Manual Available<br />
By USAF Expeditionary Center Public Affairs<br />
Members of the USAF<br />
Expeditionary<br />
Operations School<br />
and the 423d Mobility<br />
Training Squadron Tactics,<br />
Techniques and Procedures Flight<br />
have developed an Airman’s Manual<br />
for the modern Air Force.<br />
The new publication, AFTTP 3-4<br />
Airman’s Manual, is meant to be<br />
primarily used in a digital format. It<br />
includes lessons learned, compiled,<br />
and published from over a decade<br />
of expeditionary operations. Airmen<br />
can also print the manual’s Quick<br />
Reference Cards for use on the go.<br />
The TTP Flight hosts the manual<br />
in its online Expeditionary Combat<br />
Support TTP Repository. The website<br />
provides a user-friendly interface,<br />
describes tailoring and printing<br />
options, hosts multimedia content,<br />
and provides one stop access to<br />
material for specific skillsets.<br />
The changes in content and the delivery<br />
method of the manual are expected<br />
to make relevant information<br />
more accessible and allow Airmen to<br />
tailor materials specifically to mission<br />
needs. The updated manual supports<br />
its shift in use—from a process tool to<br />
combat doctrine.<br />
“The operational environment is<br />
ever changing,” said Lt. Col. William<br />
Wallis, 423d MTS commander.<br />
“It requires an Airman capable<br />
of adapting to the demands of<br />
the current joint fight, an Airman<br />
ingrained with a warrior ethos<br />
and powered by innovation. The<br />
modern Air Force calls for technical<br />
expertise paired with a breadth of<br />
combat skills. These combat skills<br />
are perishable and must be refreshed<br />
and rehearsed whenever possible.”<br />
The Airman’s Manual is in four sections:<br />
Warrior Ethos, Combat Skills,<br />
Survival, and Adapt. It is designed to<br />
be heavily integrated in training and<br />
exercises to support the expeditionary<br />
readiness program for all Active,<br />
Reserve, Guard, and civilian Airmen<br />
in today’s dynamic environment.<br />
“The potential impact of the new<br />
Airman’s Manual is endless,” said<br />
Maj. Gen. Rick Martin, USAF EC<br />
commander. “Our cross functional<br />
experts have put together a<br />
battlefield relevant yet scalable<br />
manual ready for our most valuable<br />
weapon system—our Airmen! The<br />
manual and its supporting website<br />
empower Total Force combat skills<br />
education by providing on demand<br />
access to relevant information. It is<br />
designed to help build confident and<br />
capable Airmen ready to enter the<br />
joint fight and has the potential to be<br />
a force multiplier in the future.”<br />
The TTP Flight works with experts to<br />
develop inclusive, appropriate publications<br />
for today’s warfighter.<br />
Maj Gen Rick Martin, USAF Expeditionary<br />
Center commander, poses for a photo<br />
with members of the USAF EC, USAF<br />
Expeditionary Operations School, and the<br />
423d Mobility Training Squadron after<br />
signing the Air Force Tactics, Techniques and<br />
Procedures 3-4 Airman’s Manual at Joint<br />
Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J.<br />
USAF photo by dAnielle brookS<br />
Airmen using a “.mil” network can view the Airman’s Manual and the<br />
supporting content at https://cs3.eis.af.mil/sites/OO-OT-AM-87/.<br />
Those using any other network should visit http://www.e-publishing.<br />
af.mil/ and search for AFTTP3-4. For questions, please email the<br />
423 MTS TTP Flight at usafec.ttp@us.af.mil.<br />
Fall 2015<br />
17
AMC’s ROLE<br />
in the<br />
WAR ON<br />
EBOLA<br />
By MR. MONTE NACE, Staff Writer<br />
Our world has always<br />
been a scary place when<br />
it comes to contagious<br />
diseases. For example,<br />
a devastating plague that some researchers<br />
believe was typhoid fever<br />
wiped out one-third of the population<br />
of Athens, Greece, in 430 BC.<br />
It also killed thousands of soldiers<br />
during the Civil War and Spanish-<br />
American War.<br />
Today, with international travel<br />
commonplace—and diseases and<br />
“superbugs” making headlines regularly—government<br />
leaders, scientists<br />
and medical professionals are always<br />
alert to the possibility of a worldwide<br />
epidemic.<br />
The good news is that the Department<br />
of Defense has a new tool for<br />
potential use during future outbreaks<br />
of infectious diseases, thanks<br />
to some quick action involving U.S.<br />
Transportation Command (US-<br />
TRANSCOM) and AMC. This new<br />
capability, the Transport Isolation<br />
System (TIS), provides DoD the ability<br />
to evacuate multiple patients affected<br />
by highly contagious diseases<br />
to definitive care.<br />
According to current DoD policy,<br />
American forces who contract an<br />
infectious disease will be treated in<br />
place. However, the extremely limited<br />
host nation medical capability available<br />
in Liberia and Monrovia created<br />
a challenge in Operation UNITED AS-<br />
SISTANCE, especially considering the<br />
large number of U.S. forces forward<br />
deployed. Further complicating the<br />
situation, the potential to move large<br />
numbers of patients in support of this<br />
operation was limited to a commercial<br />
carrier that could only move one<br />
patient at a time.<br />
USTRANSCOM, along with AMC,<br />
formed a working group and took<br />
up the challenge to develop the capability<br />
to move groups of infectious<br />
patients aboard military aircraft.<br />
18<br />
The Mobility Forum
AMC NEWS<br />
The team initiated a Joint Urgent<br />
Operational Need request, and in<br />
September 2014, the Joint Chiefs<br />
approved funding. It took less than<br />
four months for the TIS to move<br />
from development through testing,<br />
then on to production. A St.<br />
Louis-based company that had<br />
previously created the commercial<br />
version of the TIS already in use<br />
quickly researched, developed, and<br />
began testing a military version<br />
that would be based upon existing<br />
patient support pallets that fit on<br />
C-17 and C-130 aircraft. Training<br />
began in January, when aeromedical<br />
evacuation crew members worked<br />
with infectious disease doctors and<br />
Critical Care Air Transport Teams to<br />
learn proper protocols—everything<br />
from pre-flight, on- and off-loading<br />
a patient from the aircraft, to<br />
providing in-flight patient care in<br />
full personal protective equipment<br />
(PPE). Training continues through<br />
Airmen from JB Charleston and the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center build,<br />
test, and evaluate the Transport Isolation System (TIS) at JB Charleston.<br />
USAF photoS by A1C tAylor QUeen<br />
today, and 353 Airmen have been<br />
educated on TIS operations and rigorous<br />
infection control procedures.<br />
Currently, each TIS is configurable to<br />
the C-17 and C-130. Each system has<br />
an anteroom plus one or two isolation<br />
modules. Each module measures<br />
about 9 feet by 7.5 feet, is 8.5<br />
feet tall and weighs less than 1,500<br />
pounds—about the size of a minivan.<br />
In total, USTRANSCOM will<br />
direct the employment of the 25 TIS<br />
units through AMC.<br />
TIS VIDEOS ARE AVAILABLE AT:<br />
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRTNZ0HY5Y4<br />
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoY3Oo36hJo<br />
Staff will don PPE as they enter the<br />
system and will remove the PPE in<br />
the anteroom before exiting the TIS.<br />
Each unit has a disposable liner and<br />
an air filtration system in addition<br />
to maintaining negative interior<br />
pressure to keep contaminants<br />
inside the chamber.<br />
Many agencies have worked to<br />
expedite this effort. AMC airmen,<br />
contractors, and civil service personnel<br />
stand ready to join other Airmen<br />
from around the world to fight<br />
against infectious diseases.<br />
Fall 2015<br />
19
PREPARING AIRMEN<br />
FOR HUNTING<br />
SEASON
When hunting for sport or for sustenance this fall, keep<br />
these things in mind:<br />
WEAPONS ON BASE<br />
• Even with a conceal and carry license, you<br />
are NOT permitted to have a weapon in<br />
your vehicle or in the dorms on base<br />
• A “weapon” includes firearms, crossbows,<br />
swords, and serrated knives<br />
• Transportation of weapons for authorized<br />
base events must be identified at the<br />
gate, and the firearm and ammo must be<br />
stored separately within the vehicle<br />
• Active duty living in the dorms or<br />
lodging must store their firearms in the<br />
base armory<br />
• Active duty living in base housing are<br />
permitted to have weapons unloaded and<br />
safely stored at home, provided they are<br />
registered with base law enforcement<br />
DID YOU KNOW?<br />
• The base Outdoor Recreation offers<br />
hunting licenses and rents camping<br />
equipment<br />
• Most bases have Rod and Gun Club<br />
memberships with opportunities for<br />
hunting trips, range time, and discounted<br />
weapon purchases<br />
• Apps are available to check the weather,<br />
improve hunting techniques, predict<br />
wildlife movement, imitate deer calls,<br />
navigate hunting spots, and more<br />
• Most states require hunters to wear blaze<br />
orange; deer can’t recognize the color but<br />
other hunters can<br />
Additional sources: http://www.uchuntingproperties.com/hunting-landblog/2014-best-hunting-apps-tech-savvy-hunters/<br />
Source: AFI 31-101 Installation Security Instruction; Air Force Form<br />
1314 for registering weapons
Weather Impacts on<br />
Mission Execution and Safety<br />
By LT COL CHRISTOPHER J. LOVETT, Director, Global Weather Operations,<br />
618th Air Operations Center (TACC)<br />
The Earth’s atmosphere is a dynamic environment<br />
where wildly differing conditions<br />
occur in close proximity, and aircrews<br />
transiting through often face highly volatile,<br />
even dangerous, conditions. The 618th Air<br />
Operations Center (AOC) Tanker Airlift Control<br />
Center (TACC) is responsible for executing<br />
missions across the globe, so aircrews we<br />
support encounter challenging weather every<br />
single day. Our 618 AOC TACC planners conduct<br />
detailed planning, encompassing current<br />
and follow-on missions to ensure the most effective<br />
use of aircraft and aircrews. As a result,<br />
what may start as a localized weather event<br />
impacting a single mission can quickly domino<br />
into wide-ranging impacts that reach across the<br />
entire air mobility enterprise.<br />
Weather impacts to mobility missions manifest<br />
themselves in a variety of ways. On a daily<br />
basis, single missions are affected by local<br />
conditions at airfields, such as low cloud<br />
ceilings, low visibility, crosswinds, and lowlevel<br />
wind shear. Regularly, flights also must be<br />
adjusted to account for en route hazards such<br />
as severe turbulence or icing, and widespread<br />
thunderstorms, which can affect multiple<br />
missions in an area or along frequently flown<br />
routes. Additionally, large-scale environmental<br />
events, such as tropical storms and volcanic<br />
eruptions, can affect widespread areas and<br />
impact larger numbers of missions. Forecasters<br />
must consider these and other variables to keep<br />
AMC aircrews safe.<br />
Within the 618 AOC TACC, the Global Mobility<br />
Weather Operations Directorate provides planning<br />
and execution weather forecasts for over<br />
60,000 Mobility Air Forces (MAF) missions per<br />
year. Thus, our forecasters constantly evaluate<br />
weather across the globe. When mission-limiting<br />
conditions are detected or forecast, our team<br />
immediately flags missions that may be affected.<br />
These missions must be closely evaluated to<br />
determine if they need to be adjusted to avoid<br />
hazardous weather, which may involve changing<br />
their time or route, or even being cancelled.<br />
One example is a typhoon approaching<br />
Andersen AFB in Guam. While the typhoon is<br />
still over open ocean it is an en route hazard,<br />
and our forecasters partner with the 618 AOC<br />
TACC Flight Management Division to track<br />
the typhoon so they can provide aircrews safe<br />
routes around it. This may require planners to<br />
adjust timing and/or fuel loads to account for<br />
the routing and additional flight time.<br />
When the typhoon is expected to affect the<br />
island directly, our weather team works with<br />
planners and flight managers to determine, as<br />
accurately as possible, when weather conditions<br />
will be out-of-limits for the airfield. This<br />
provides an idea of how long the airfield will<br />
be open before the storm arrives and how soon<br />
it will reopen afterward. This window is crucial<br />
when adjusting schedules to move aircraft out<br />
of harm’s way before the storm makes landfall<br />
and again when getting aircraft and crews back<br />
to the base to resume mission execution.<br />
Another example of the crucial role weather<br />
plays in mission planning and execution can<br />
be seen when low cloud ceilings, sandstorms,<br />
or other adverse conditions reduce visibility<br />
22<br />
The Mobility Forum
FLIGHT SAFETY<br />
to the point aircrews can no longer<br />
use visual flight rules (VFR),<br />
or their eyesight, for navigation.<br />
Aircrews normally use groundbased<br />
equipment known as NA-<br />
VAIDS and aircraft instruments to<br />
navigate their aircraft to the point<br />
where a safe landing can be made<br />
at an airfield. However, some AMC<br />
missions require Airmen to land at<br />
austere airfields that lack the necessary<br />
ground equipment to make<br />
this possible.<br />
Without NAVAIDS, pilots must use<br />
visual procedures or self-contained<br />
approaches (SCAs) to make a safe<br />
landing. SCAs are tailored for<br />
specific airframes and runways that<br />
rely on onboard navigational equipment<br />
and concrete locational data<br />
of the surrounding area for orientation.<br />
While planning and approval<br />
for these procedures is rigorous and<br />
time consuming, these steps mitigate<br />
crew risk to the greatest extent possible.<br />
Whether crews use instrument<br />
flight rules, VFR, or SCAs, accurate<br />
weather forecasts are critical for risk<br />
assessment; forecasts help commanders<br />
and aircrews determine the safest<br />
way to execute their mission.<br />
Major weather phenomena that<br />
cause natural disasters also impact<br />
the mobility enterprise, as they<br />
drive humanitarian response missions.<br />
With Typhoon Haiyan in 2013<br />
and the Haiti earthquake in 2010,<br />
where the United Stated directed a<br />
rapid military response, the sudden<br />
influx of high-priority missions<br />
created “broken glass” among<br />
lower priority missions. In these<br />
situations, many missions may be<br />
rerouted or delayed to compensate<br />
for the reallocation of resources.<br />
A global area of responsibility plus<br />
a constantly changing atmosphere<br />
ensure that weather will impact<br />
the mobility mission somewhere<br />
each day. The 618 AOC TACC folks<br />
constantly work through these<br />
challenges and adjust as needed<br />
to minimize the impact to the<br />
MAF enterprise, while maximizing<br />
timely support to the mobility<br />
customers—ultimately ensuring a<br />
constant flow of critical support to<br />
America’s warfighters.<br />
SSgt Nick Steininger, 618th Air Operations Center (Tanker<br />
Airlift Control Center) lead meteorologist, analyzes a<br />
national coverage map of the United States on the 618th<br />
AOC (TACC) execution floor, Scott AFB, Il.<br />
USAF photo by A1C eriCA holbert-Siebert<br />
Fall 2015<br />
23
Prevent Mishaps by<br />
Taking Responsibility<br />
By MS. RUTH ANN REPLOGLE, Staff Writer<br />
Air Mobility Command’s<br />
mission is “To provide<br />
global air mobility …<br />
right effects, right place,<br />
right time.”<br />
To have the right effects in the right<br />
place at the right time, Airmen need<br />
to be responsible on the ground and<br />
in the air. Being responsible keeps<br />
everyone safe from mishaps.<br />
The definition of a mishap is “an<br />
unfortunate event resulting especially<br />
from carelessness or ignorance.”<br />
So how do you create a safe work<br />
environment and avoid carelessness<br />
or ignorance?<br />
First, don’t take shortcuts. You<br />
might think wearing goggles is silly,<br />
but you won’t be laughing later<br />
when you go blind in one eye due<br />
to a mishap.<br />
Be responsible: Follow procedures, either<br />
through the checklist or technical order.<br />
Second, be sure to thoroughly inspect<br />
all equipment before switching<br />
it on. Sure, it takes a few minutes, but<br />
you would hate to get started and<br />
then have it break down midway.<br />
You also want to ensure that others<br />
using the equipment—from small<br />
SrA Tyler Farrell, a 61 AS C-130J<br />
loadmaster, reviews a pre-flight checklist at<br />
Little Rock AFB, Ark.<br />
USAF photo by A1C hArry brexel<br />
power tools to large planes—won’t<br />
get hurt due to your negligence.<br />
Be responsible: Repair what you can and<br />
shut off and store what you can’t until<br />
the experts can.<br />
Third, assess yourself. Are you properly<br />
prepared to tackle your shift?<br />
Shortchanging yourself (and others)<br />
by not being completely healthy and<br />
fully engaged could literally cause<br />
headaches down the road.<br />
Be responsible: Safeguard yourself by<br />
being appropriately outfitted, hydrated,<br />
and fed so you can be focused.<br />
Last, but not least, practice<br />
situational awareness. Be aware of<br />
your surroundings, and therefore,<br />
be in control. Know if the plane has<br />
sharp points, spoilers, or probes that<br />
could inadvertently poke you when<br />
walking around it or inside it. Even<br />
the smallest debris, clutter, or spills<br />
in the hangar or on the flight line<br />
are safety hazards and can lead to<br />
serious injuries.<br />
Be responsible: Help clean up<br />
and/or report hazards and spills to<br />
the proper authorities.<br />
President John F. Kennedy once<br />
said, “Let us not seek to fix the<br />
blame for the past. Let us accept our<br />
responsibility for the future.”<br />
It is easy to be complacent, especially<br />
if you do the same thing every day.<br />
24<br />
The Mobility Forum
ARE YOU A<br />
RESPONSIBLE, SAFETY-<br />
CONSCIOUS AIRMAN?<br />
Do you embody these<br />
five characteristics?<br />
1. Tells the truth, even when it<br />
is uncomfortable to notify a<br />
commanding officer<br />
2. Honest, refusing to ignore<br />
or shove a problem under<br />
the carpet<br />
3. Hardworking, doing all<br />
required tasks to the best<br />
of ability<br />
4. Willing to ask for help or<br />
ask questions<br />
5. Dependable, often going<br />
beyond job description<br />
However, the consequences of not<br />
checking the equipment one more<br />
time or not cleaning a messy work<br />
area can be far-reaching and affect<br />
more than just you. Carelessness or<br />
ignorance can lead to serious injuries<br />
or even death of a fellow Airman.<br />
In FY14, there were three on-duty<br />
fatalities in the Air Force. The year<br />
before, there were seven. To the Air<br />
Force—and to AMC—one life lost is<br />
too many.<br />
Some Airmen may question whether<br />
it is part of their job description to mitigate<br />
hazards and prevent mishaps.<br />
The answer is yes; safety is everyone’s<br />
business, in and out of uniform.<br />
RISK MANAGEMENT<br />
“Risk management and safe operations<br />
are part of our ethos, and when<br />
our Airmen apply them to every<br />
activity, both on duty and off duty,<br />
they mitigate hazards and prevent<br />
mishaps,” said Maj Gen Kurt Neubauer,<br />
Air Force Chief of Safety.<br />
AMC’s 2015 summer safety campaign<br />
was “Make the Right Choices.”<br />
The goal was—by planning<br />
ahead and practicing situational<br />
awareness—no Airman would be<br />
lost this year due to accidents.<br />
Will you make the right choice and<br />
be responsible today?<br />
“The price of greatness is<br />
responsibility.”<br />
– Winston Churchill<br />
SSgt Sarah Sarten, 375th Logistics<br />
Readiness Squadron NCOIC of fuels<br />
laboratory, reads through the checklist for<br />
cryogenic liquid oxygen (LOX) sampling.<br />
Sampling is done to ensure that petroleum<br />
and cryogenic products are in compliance<br />
and safe to use.<br />
USAF photo by SrA JoShUA eikren<br />
Fall 2015<br />
25
Motorcyclists ride on the training course during the Joint Base<br />
Charleston Street Riding Skills Mentorship Program motorcycle<br />
training event at JB Charleston - Weapons Station, S.C.<br />
USAF photo by A1C ChACArrA neAl<br />
A Unique<br />
Opportunity for<br />
Riders at Joint<br />
Base Charleston<br />
By MS. RUTH ANN REPLOGLE, Staff Writer<br />
Planning to ride a motorcycle on a Department<br />
of Defense (DoD) installation this year? The<br />
DoD requires all motorcycle riders to complete a<br />
motorcycle safety training course prior to riding<br />
on base. In most cases, the installation either offers the<br />
training off base or contracts trainers to give classes in a<br />
limited area on base.<br />
But Joint Base Charleston in South Carolina gives a<br />
unique opportunity for riders to stay on base to train on<br />
an actual course.<br />
Since 2013, under the direction of 628th Air Base Wing<br />
(ABW) Motorcycle Safety Manager Jim “Mac” McMurry,<br />
anyone with base access can sign up for a class at the<br />
former Federal Law Enforcement Training Center Pursuit<br />
Course located on the Naval Weapons Station.<br />
This 1.5 mile police pursuit closed course is a two-lane<br />
road with center line and road edge markings featuring<br />
nine curves. Speed is limited to 55 miles per hour, the<br />
normal speed for rural two-lane roads in South Carolina.<br />
26<br />
The Mobility Forum
MOTORCYCLE CULTURE<br />
THE GREEN KNIGHTS MILITARY MOTORCYCLE CLUB (also known as<br />
Green Knights International) was formed in 1999 at McGuire Air Force<br />
Base in New Jersey. The mission of this motorcycle club is to organize<br />
military motorcyclists for community activities and to bring safety<br />
awareness to DoD riders. Members often work hand-in-hand with<br />
base safety offices and security forces to strive for safety.<br />
There are more than 100 chapters worldwide. To find<br />
one in your area, visit https://www.google.com/maps/d/<br />
viewer?mid=zM9yxlM6TtPs.kRoTsEuGKPWc&msa=0.<br />
At JB Charleston, Green Knights Chapter 37 went live in 2010.<br />
Anyone with base access who likes to ride and converse with other<br />
motorcycle riders is welcome to join.<br />
The Green Knights are active on and off base, according to 628 ABW<br />
Motorcycle Safety Manager McMurry. He said they support the JB<br />
Charleston Street Riding Skills Mentorship Program, recruit volunteer<br />
instructors, promote the program’s schedule of events, and give<br />
motorcyclists opportunities to ride outside of class.<br />
“They provide mentorship outside the installation walls,” he added.<br />
As word of the program spread<br />
throughout the Armed Forces,<br />
service members from other<br />
installations arrived to participate<br />
in the JB Charleston Street Riding<br />
Skills Mentorship Program. Most<br />
recently, the Army sent soldiers from<br />
Savannah, Georgia, on temporary<br />
duty assignment to JB Charleston.<br />
Any DoD identification card<br />
holder—whether civilian, contractor,<br />
dependent, or retiree—can sign<br />
up for motorcycle safety training<br />
courses; however, active duty<br />
personnel have priority.<br />
According to McMurry, more<br />
than 180 people have been in the<br />
program since its inception.<br />
“We practice primarily lifesaving<br />
skills such as stopping quickly,<br />
swerving, and cornering at normal<br />
street riding speeds,” McMurry said.<br />
After the base commander tasked<br />
McMurry to assume management of<br />
the course, he had to create a motorcycle<br />
safety training curriculum from<br />
scratch because he wasn’t authorized<br />
to utilize the Motorcycle Safety<br />
Foundation’s materials.<br />
“I developed it from the ground<br />
up,” he said. Over a six-month period,<br />
he tapped motorcycle friends<br />
and safety experts to tweak guidelines<br />
and test exercises prior to submitting<br />
his 36-page program manual<br />
to the base commander.<br />
“He signed it and it is approved<br />
through all services,” McMurry said.<br />
There are several classes for<br />
motorcycle/sport bike riders: basic<br />
(Level I), intermediate (Level II),<br />
and advanced (Level III). The JB<br />
Charleston Street Riding Skills<br />
Mentorship Program meets DoD<br />
requirements for refresher and<br />
sustainment training for Air Force,<br />
Navy, and Army personnel.<br />
The average class is six hours long<br />
and includes a safety briefing, motorcycle<br />
check, demonstrations by trainers,<br />
three 30-minute riding sessions,<br />
and a controlled ride at the end.<br />
McMurry schedules between<br />
four and eight classes a month,<br />
depending on demand.<br />
Chris Bender, Green Knights Motorcycle<br />
Club Chapter 37 member, directs motorcyclists<br />
where to park for the Annual Motorcycle<br />
Riders Safety Brief , April 24, 2015, at<br />
Joint Base Charleston – Air Base, S.C. The<br />
Annual Motorcycle Safety Brief is required<br />
by AFI 91-207, The Air Force Traffic Safety<br />
Program, paragraph 1.3.4.5., for all active<br />
duty Air Force motorcycle riders. All other<br />
service members, retirees, and dependents are<br />
highly encouraged to attend.<br />
USAF photo by SSgt A.J. hyAtt<br />
Fall 2015<br />
27
USAF photo illUStrAtion by A1C zAChAry CACiCiA<br />
“I took pills,” the man slurs again. “I<br />
took all the pills. And I want you to<br />
listen to me die.” Blake is removed,<br />
objective, and sympathetic—exactly<br />
as she was trained to be to offer the<br />
most help.<br />
She signals her supervisor to call the<br />
police while Blake keeps the man<br />
talking. “Where are you? What kind<br />
of pills did you take?”<br />
When You Hurt:<br />
A Military Crisis Line Worker Shares Her Experience<br />
By MS. AMANDA CAMPBELL,<br />
Staff Writer<br />
Blake sips her coffee and places<br />
it on her desk. She pushes her<br />
hair behind her ear, affixes her<br />
headset, and waits for a ring.<br />
For many people, suicide is a hotbutton<br />
issue, a huge taboo, and<br />
often a frightening subject. Military<br />
Crisis Line workers are trained to<br />
understand suicide. They reach for<br />
the part of a person that wants to<br />
live, but they don’t ignore the part<br />
of them that wants to die. They must<br />
honor the pain a person in crisis feels<br />
and understand that no one is born<br />
with an urge to self-destruct. People<br />
in crisis need to know that crisis<br />
workers aren’t going to freak out or<br />
judge them—they simply provide a<br />
safe place to talk.<br />
Ring ring.<br />
Blake wastes no time on blather.<br />
“Thank you for calling. I’m happy<br />
to speak with you, but first, I need<br />
to ask if you’re suicidal.” Her<br />
training controls the tone of her<br />
voice: soothing, matter-of-fact,<br />
authoritative, and non-judgmental.<br />
“Yes,” a man’s voice slurs on the other<br />
end of the line. Blake straightens as<br />
she performs a quick assessment of<br />
the man’s circumstance.<br />
She asks him, “Have you harmed<br />
yourself? Do you have a plan? Do<br />
you have a gun or pills?” She knows<br />
that since this man has called the<br />
Military Crisis Line, a part of him<br />
clings to life, and she must appeal<br />
to that. Few people who call the<br />
hotline have already taken lethal<br />
measures. But if he has, Blake must<br />
seek help immediately.<br />
“Pain pills,” he replies. “Don’t—<br />
don’t bother trying to find me. I<br />
blocked this number before I called.<br />
I just want you to listen.” Most of the<br />
time, callers disclose their location,<br />
but police can “ping” cell phones<br />
and get an approximate position.<br />
In 10 years at the Crisis Line, Blake<br />
never dealt with a live completed<br />
suicide and only heard of one suicide<br />
being completed after a call.<br />
According to the American<br />
Association of Suicidology, suicidal<br />
people are only suicidal for the<br />
moment. The majority of calls the<br />
Crisis Line gets are exactly that—a<br />
crisis—and nobody is immune.<br />
Blake has taken calls from men<br />
and women, active duty military<br />
and veterans, and from dependent<br />
children to seniors.<br />
Many people believe asking<br />
someone if he is suicidal will plant<br />
an idea into his head or that he’ll lie<br />
to you. It’s not true. Crisis workers<br />
are trained to ask frankly, in a caring<br />
way and with enthusiasm, about<br />
helping a person stay alive. They<br />
deal with a person’s level of crisis on<br />
a case-by-case basis and tailor their<br />
responses, their tone, and their help<br />
to each individual’s needs.<br />
28<br />
The Mobility Forum
SUICIDE PREVENTION<br />
Military<br />
Crisis Line<br />
1-800-273-8255 PRESS 1<br />
Screenshot of<br />
http://www.af.mil/SuicidePrevention.aspx<br />
Blake looks at her supervisor,<br />
who indicates the police can’t find<br />
the caller.<br />
“Sir, I need you to tell me where<br />
you are.”<br />
“Please, just listen,” he drones.<br />
Blake continued to engage him in<br />
conversation long enough to make<br />
sure somebody would find him.<br />
Eventually, somebody did. He was<br />
taken to the hospital and the suicide<br />
attempt was prevented. Today,<br />
he is still alive, thanks to Blake’s<br />
proactive response measures and her<br />
commitment to training.<br />
After the call …<br />
There is help after the call, and it<br />
doesn’t always involve a hospital<br />
stay. In fact, there is an alarmingly<br />
high rate of suicide completion<br />
following hospitalization. The<br />
Military Crisis Line offers a suicidal<br />
behavioral support service for when<br />
patients in crisis leave the hospital,<br />
as well as an Internet program<br />
where workers can chat live with<br />
a person in crisis, and a texting<br />
service. There is also support<br />
for mood disorders to provide<br />
options for intervention before<br />
self-injury occurs, and free case risk<br />
management is offered by telephone<br />
after contact.<br />
Blake often thinks of the man<br />
who asked her to listen to him<br />
die, finally allowing herself to be<br />
shaken only when she was off duty<br />
and could process the experience.<br />
It is imperative that crisis workers<br />
remain ambiguous. “There are 30 or<br />
40 other people here just as qualified<br />
as I am, and just as awesome,”<br />
she said. Her goal, along with her<br />
coworkers, is to foster the faith in<br />
callers that they can take help from<br />
anyone and to encourage helpseeking<br />
behaviors.<br />
If you or someone you know has<br />
thoughts of self-harm, help is<br />
available. Visit the U.S. Air Force<br />
Suicide Prevention website at<br />
www.af.mil/SuicidePrevention.aspx<br />
for information, articles, news, or<br />
a private chat with a trained crisis<br />
worker, or call 1-800-273-8255<br />
for help in a crisis or for information<br />
about suicide prevention<br />
support programs.<br />
Fall 2015<br />
29
The<br />
360°<br />
of Safety:<br />
Know Your<br />
Safety Circle<br />
By LT COL RYAN GUIBERSON, 380 AEW Chief of Safety<br />
Developing and implementing<br />
an organization’s<br />
safety “philosophy” can<br />
be tricky business. Commanders<br />
and safety staffs, in an<br />
effort to simplify this not-so-simple<br />
process, often view the potential universe<br />
of options as only two-fold.<br />
One option, the “morselizing” strategy,<br />
leads to a safety program where<br />
responsibilities are confined to narrow<br />
and discrete areas of concern. Such a<br />
program focuses on only measurable,<br />
observable, and visible behaviors,<br />
such as using reflective belts, wearing<br />
headphones on roadways, or posting<br />
the latest safety message in the latrine.<br />
This can impede a unit from developing<br />
a deeper commitment to safety<br />
vigilance. The other strategy paints<br />
the notion of safety so broadly that it<br />
becomes meaningless. Common utterances<br />
such as “Be safe!” or “Safety<br />
First!” provide great catch phrases but<br />
do little to ingrain an overall safety<br />
consciousness across a unit.<br />
In a deployed environment, constant<br />
personnel turnover and their<br />
relatively short tenures, mixing<br />
dissimilar units from different bases<br />
and MAJCOMs, and other factors<br />
complicate efforts to teach more<br />
nuanced philosophies, which take<br />
considerable time and constant reinforcement.<br />
It remains a continuous<br />
struggle to determine the appropriate<br />
balance between these two lessthan-desirable<br />
options. However, a<br />
“360° of Safety” framework provides<br />
commanders and deployed safety<br />
staffs a valuable tool to articulate a<br />
meaningful strategy.<br />
The 360° of Safety concept<br />
encourages personnel to understand<br />
their safety obligations in terms of<br />
expanding concentric circles around<br />
any potentially hazardous situation.<br />
Each circle requires a different<br />
posture toward the environment and<br />
defines where an individual ought<br />
to focus his or her safety attention.<br />
The smaller inner circles represent a<br />
safety focus on the immediate task or<br />
activity at hand, whereas the steadily<br />
increasing larger circles encapsulate<br />
safety postures focused on activities<br />
occurring simultaneously with the<br />
task—activities that may create new<br />
and unexpected hazards.<br />
For example, in a recent near mishap<br />
at our deployed location, a fighter<br />
aircraft experienced a hydraulic<br />
malfunction that dictated it use the<br />
arresting system (barrier) to stop the<br />
plane after landing. After the aircraft<br />
stopped, two maintainers climbed<br />
under it to “safe” the weapons. The<br />
maintainers’ small safety circles<br />
focused narrowly on the weapons<br />
and the immediate area under the<br />
aircraft. The next concentric circle<br />
contained a third member of the<br />
maintenance team, who stood back<br />
and monitored both individuals under<br />
the plane. The next layer was fire<br />
and crash responders, who ensured<br />
the plane remained stationary and<br />
had no indications of fire. In the next<br />
larger circle, ATC watched the airfield<br />
to ensure another aircraft didn’t<br />
land on the runway.<br />
An individual in a second-level circle<br />
recognized that the aircraft unexpectedly<br />
and dangerously began<br />
to pivot around one wheel. This<br />
individual alerted the maintainers<br />
under the plane, who—by their relative<br />
position—could not detect the<br />
movement. The maintainers quickly<br />
evacuated and avoided a potential<br />
injury or fatality.<br />
You can see where this concept<br />
of 360° of Safety is going: in ever-<br />
30<br />
The Mobility Forum
SAFETY CULTURE<br />
TSgt Wynee Diaz, 375th Air Mobility<br />
Wing Ground Safety Technician, is<br />
part of Team Scott, which prevents<br />
safety mishaps by using programs and<br />
procedures in a variety of workplaces.<br />
Diaz says the methods for safeguarding<br />
personnel include safety education,<br />
mishap investigations, and reporting.<br />
USAF photo by A1C MegAn Friedl<br />
increasing circles, other individuals<br />
(and agencies) become responsible<br />
for larger spans of safety awareness.<br />
Those in outer circles must force<br />
themselves to divert their attention<br />
away from the central activity (safing<br />
aircraft weapons in the example) and<br />
ensure the surrounding environment<br />
does not present impending hazards<br />
to those engaged in the central activity.<br />
The individuals accomplishing<br />
the immediate task can’t divert their<br />
own attention, so this responsibility<br />
falls to fellow Airmen and supervisors.<br />
If individuals don’t focus on<br />
their own outer circles and are distracted<br />
by the central activity, they<br />
risk that an even greater mishap will<br />
occur.<br />
When we apply the 360°of Safety<br />
concept outside the workplace to<br />
areas and tasks that have fewer<br />
codified safety standards and<br />
processes, and a less defined<br />
supervisory structure, the model’s<br />
value becomes more apparent. The<br />
360° of Safety model reminds us that:<br />
1. We are responsible for safety<br />
regardless of our environment.<br />
2. Where we focus<br />
continually changes.<br />
3. Our roles are dynamic and transcend<br />
workplace safety alone.<br />
Think about sports-related injuries.<br />
In deployed locations, injured players<br />
often depart the AOR for treatment<br />
and never return to complete<br />
their deployment. Furthermore, most<br />
duty positions aren’t backfilled, so<br />
mission productivity suffers. Sports<br />
activities are integral to an individual’s<br />
physical and mental health, plus<br />
they support team building, unit<br />
camaraderie, and a warrior mentality.<br />
But when our unit analyzed<br />
many sports-related mishaps, we<br />
discovered a prevalent, preventable<br />
risk factor: an overzealous competitive<br />
intensity among some participants<br />
who did not typically injure<br />
themselves but increased the risk to<br />
fellow participants.<br />
During an activity, an engaged participant’s<br />
concentric safety circle likely<br />
includes only his or her own immediate<br />
safety. Personnel away from the<br />
immediate action (e.g., other players,<br />
spectators) must step back and view<br />
the developing situation from the perspective<br />
of a larger concentric circle.<br />
They must also intervene when the<br />
competitive intensity rises to an inappropriate<br />
level. Competitiveness is<br />
an essential trait of the warrior ethos,<br />
but it must be tempered during sports<br />
activities to prevent unnecessary<br />
injuries that take Airmen out of the<br />
bigger fight. A 360° of Safety mindset<br />
can help do this.<br />
In any environment with potential<br />
hazards, we must resist the<br />
temptation to drift to a larger<br />
or smaller concentric circle that<br />
provides a more comfortable and<br />
familiar level of responsibility.<br />
Otherwise, an adjoining circle may<br />
remain uninhabited, and an empty<br />
safety circle invites a mishap. In<br />
addition to our safety circle, we<br />
must constantly assess which other<br />
circles are likely unguarded and scan<br />
for developing safety hazards that<br />
others may be missing. This takes<br />
practice and a conscious effort.<br />
Next time you approach an area<br />
at your deployed location, either<br />
at work or in a base common area,<br />
consider what potential hazards<br />
exist—inside your circle and beyond.<br />
If everyone practices 360° of Safety,<br />
each of our backs is always covered<br />
and—more importantly—so is our<br />
combat capability.<br />
Fall 2015<br />
31
CROSSTALK:<br />
Preventing Mishaps<br />
LEFT OF LAUNCH<br />
By TSGT RYAN M. DILLINGHAM, 728 AMS Safety<br />
Within the missile<br />
defense community,<br />
“left of launch”<br />
describes the actions<br />
that might be taken to disrupt or<br />
disable an adversarial missile prior<br />
to it being launched. What would<br />
happen if we took this same idea<br />
and applied it to the “causal chain”<br />
of a safety mishap? What practices<br />
could we implement to avoid safety<br />
mishaps before they start, rather than<br />
hoping to interrupt a chain of events<br />
when the hair on the back of our<br />
collective necks starts to stand up?<br />
The night of January 6, 2015 started<br />
like any other for the Port Dawgs<br />
of the 728th Air Mobility Squadron,<br />
Incirlik AB, Turkey. The inbound<br />
mission, a Patriot Express passenger<br />
aircraft, required the standard<br />
download and upload of passengers<br />
and their baggage. Following<br />
standard shift changeover, all was<br />
normal until the safety handrail<br />
on a baggage conveyor truck<br />
collapsed and struck a staff sergeant<br />
in the head, nearly knocking her<br />
unconscious. Why tonight? What<br />
was different? All established safety<br />
processes had been followed, tech<br />
data was followed, and the retaining<br />
pins were installed the same as they<br />
had been countless times before.<br />
Could this mishap have been<br />
prevented “left of launch?”<br />
The answer to whether this or any<br />
mishap event could have been<br />
prevented is always “yes” and<br />
“likely.” The question is, how, where,<br />
and at what cost? Perhaps the most<br />
efficient way to prevent future<br />
mishaps is through communication.<br />
Communication is fundamental<br />
to most daily tasks. Why should<br />
safety be any different? Leadership<br />
communicates a vision, mid-level<br />
supervisors provide direction and<br />
create buy-in, and Airmen move us<br />
forward. Airmen are more likely<br />
to identify problems and provide<br />
solutions when they understand<br />
they can do this without fear of<br />
retribution for challenging the<br />
status quo or being dismissed with,<br />
“That’s how it’s always been done.”<br />
When a problem has been identified,<br />
particularly something that creates an<br />
unsafe working environment, there<br />
is a collective responsibility to find<br />
a solution and then share that issue<br />
and/or solution outside the unit. This<br />
“crosstalk” allows other units to learn<br />
and adapt to a safety issue, or adopt a<br />
safety solution, preventing a mishap<br />
“left of launch.” As long as people<br />
are involved, mistakes will happen;<br />
but we should strive to ensure others<br />
have the opportunity to learn from<br />
our mistakes.<br />
The rest of our mishap story<br />
provides a fantastic example of<br />
crosstalk and the prevention of<br />
future mishaps. Following the<br />
incident, TSgt Ryan Dillingham,<br />
728th Safety NCO, investigated<br />
the mishap and identified the<br />
broken support pin as causal. The<br />
pin had failed when the locking<br />
mechanism became stuck. After<br />
the pin vibrated out of position,<br />
the handrail collapsed and struck<br />
the staff sergeant, resulting in a<br />
concussion and whiplash. TSgt<br />
Dillingham rapidly communicated<br />
the cause of the incident across our<br />
wing and AMC Safety. Recognizing<br />
the potential for a similar mishap<br />
at Al Udeid AB, Qatar, TSgt Harold<br />
Morris, 8 EAMS Safety, and SSgt<br />
Steven Wilson, 8 EAMS Aerial Port,<br />
quickly worked to evaluate their<br />
conveyor trucks. The result was out<br />
32<br />
The Mobility Forum
RISK MANAGEMENT<br />
TSgt Ryan Dillingham, 728th<br />
Safety NCO, and TSgt Teve<br />
Molioo, 728 AMS Safety ATSEV<br />
evaluator, Incirlik AB, Turkey,<br />
examine a baggage conveyor belt<br />
support pin.<br />
USAF photo<br />
Good pin<br />
Bad pin<br />
A recent support pin failure on<br />
a baggage conveyor belt caused a<br />
rail to slip, resulting in an injury.<br />
Further investigation revealed<br />
many pins had loose or nonfunctioning<br />
bearings. All pins are<br />
now being replaced and specific<br />
function checks are being added.<br />
of five of their assigned trucks, only<br />
one support pin was functional. Due to<br />
the diligence and proactive leadership,<br />
local Vehicle Maintenance had the pins<br />
replaced within the hour, averting the<br />
potential for the same mishap to befall<br />
our fellow Airmen at Al Udeid. This<br />
is just one example where “crosstalk”<br />
prevented a mishap “left of launch.”<br />
It’s impossible to know how many<br />
others may be prevented through<br />
crosstalk. The potential is limitless if<br />
applied by every member of our Air<br />
Force. I challenge you to share your<br />
safety lessons with other Airmen<br />
across the service. Will you live up to<br />
the challenge?<br />
PIN<br />
Fall 2015<br />
33
TANKERS<br />
Fuel the War on Terror<br />
By MS. RUTH ANN REPLOGLE, Staff Writer<br />
One of the key missions of<br />
Air Mobility Command<br />
(AMC) is to deliver fuel<br />
for major military operations.<br />
This mission became front and<br />
center in 2001 with the triad of military<br />
operations launched in the wake<br />
of the September 11, 2001, attacks<br />
on U.S. soil: Operation Noble Eagle,<br />
Operation Enduring Freedom, and<br />
Operation Iraqi Freedom.<br />
Since 9/11, Air Force KC-10s and<br />
KC-135s have been on the front lines<br />
of the war on terrorism. This includes<br />
more than 350 missions guarding U.S.<br />
skies and more than 1,390 missions<br />
delivering critical air refueling<br />
support overseas.<br />
“Tankers and airlift aircraft play a<br />
critical role in the Homeland Security<br />
mission,” said General John W.<br />
Handy, commander in chief of U.S.<br />
Transportation Command and Commander<br />
of AMC in 2002. “As with<br />
many flying operations requiring a<br />
sustained fighter presence, tanker<br />
aircraft are required to extend fighter<br />
aircraft capabilities. In the case of<br />
Homeland Defense, tankers are used<br />
to extend [a] fighter’s flight time during<br />
combat air patrols or increase its<br />
range of coverage.”<br />
In the first six months of Operation<br />
Noble Eagle, KC-10s and KC-135s<br />
sustained combat air patrols across<br />
the United States. AMC’s tanker<br />
aircrews offloaded more than 420<br />
million pounds of fuel.<br />
During Operation Enduring Freedom,<br />
tankers were deployed overseas to<br />
Guam, Qatar, Japan, and Afghanistan<br />
to refuel bombers, airlifters, reconnaissance,<br />
and other aircraft.<br />
KC-135s and KC-10s were critical<br />
during Operation Iraqi Freedom.<br />
Early on, they refueled fighters<br />
and bombers in 17 locations<br />
worldwide and then moved into<br />
the theater to sustain combat<br />
as well as search and rescue.<br />
In June 2003, Brigadier General<br />
Paul J. Selva, Vice Commander of<br />
the AMC Tanker Airlift Control<br />
Center, praised the Maine and New<br />
Hampshire Air National Guardmanned<br />
Northeast Tanker Task Force<br />
for enabling AMC to make direct<br />
deliveries successfully. During the<br />
initial combat phase of Operation<br />
Iraqi Freedom, Air Force tankers<br />
provided more than half of the<br />
overall inflight refueling capability.<br />
General Handy told members of<br />
the Airlift/Tanker Association in<br />
November 2002 that not one U.S.<br />
fighter or bomber mission went<br />
lacking for fuel because of tankers.<br />
The tankers enabled some historic<br />
events for the Air Force, including<br />
the longest B-2 mission of 44.3 hours<br />
and the longest F-15 combat sortie of<br />
15.5 hours.<br />
KC-10s and KC-135s offloaded<br />
nearly 11.7 billion pounds of fuel in<br />
Operations Enduring Freedom and<br />
Iraqi Freedom combined.<br />
AMC’s goal to protect America depends<br />
on its ability to have a combatready<br />
force, said General Duncan<br />
McNabb, a former AMC Commander,<br />
while speaking at an Airlift/Tanker<br />
Association convention in October<br />
2005. “We are in this global war on<br />
terrorism for the long haul.”<br />
In February 2008, AMC Commander<br />
General Arthur J. Lichte announced<br />
the KC-45 would eventually replace<br />
the KC-135 in the global war on terrorism.<br />
“The KC-45A is the tanker of<br />
the future. It will enable us to carry<br />
more fuel and cargo, and allow us<br />
the flexibility to refuel any type of<br />
receiver on every mission. It will<br />
come equipped with systems to take<br />
this capability closer to the fight<br />
while protecting our Airmen as they<br />
operate in hostile skies.” Three years<br />
later, the Air Force opted to go with<br />
the KC-46 instead of the KC-45.<br />
While refueling is the primary role of<br />
tankers in the war on terror, KC-10s<br />
and KC-135s have offered support<br />
through carrying and/or delivering<br />
cargo and passengers.<br />
As they did in Operations Desert<br />
Shield and Desert Storm in the 1990s,<br />
the tankers replaced the role of C-17s<br />
and C-130s by transporting noncritical<br />
patients from Afghanistan<br />
to Germany within hours—rather<br />
than days—through aeromedical<br />
evacuation missions. More than<br />
1,350 patients were airlifted during<br />
Operation Enduring Freedom.<br />
Today, KC-10s and KC-135s also participate<br />
in joint exercises at home and<br />
abroad, humanitarian relief around<br />
the world, U.S. presidential support,<br />
and deployment missions.<br />
34<br />
The Mobility Forum
AMC NEWS<br />
A 940th Aerial Refueling Wing KC-135E<br />
Stratotanker from Beale AFB, Calif., prepares<br />
to refuel two F-16 Fighting Falcons during<br />
an Operation Noble Eagle training patrol.<br />
USAF photo by MSgt lAnCe CheUng<br />
• KC-135s have been the backbone of America’s tanker<br />
fleet since the Eisenhower administration (1956).<br />
• With six large fuel tanks, KC-10s can carry more<br />
than 356,000 pounds of fuel, twice as much as<br />
the KC-135s.<br />
• The 380th Air Expeditionary Wing stationed at Al<br />
Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, is the only<br />
wing at an Air Force base with a tanker squadron<br />
flying both KC-10s and KC-135s. The 380th was formerly<br />
part of AMC and was known as the 380th Air<br />
Refueling Wing at Plattsburgh Air Force Base, New<br />
York, until 1995.<br />
• KC-135s will be replaced by KC-46s starting in<br />
2017. KC-46s will be based at McConnell Air Force<br />
Base in Wichita, Kansas, and crews will be trained<br />
at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma.<br />
An F-16C Fighting Falcon receives fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker<br />
during an in-air refueling mission over Afghanistan in support of<br />
Operation Enduring Freedom.<br />
USAF photo by SSgt Vernon yoUng Jr.<br />
• AMC operates 414 KC-135s (also known as Stratotankers)<br />
and 59 KC-10s (also known as Extenders).<br />
KC-10 Extender (top) and KC-135A Stratotanker (bottom) graphics<br />
by Bob Goode, AFNEWS/NSPD<br />
Fall 2015<br />
35
MISHAP-FREE<br />
F lying Hour<br />
MILESTONES<br />
15,000 HOURS<br />
313 AS, JB Lewis-McChord, WA<br />
Lt Col John W. Smith<br />
10,000 HOURS<br />
97 AS, JB Lewis McChord, WA<br />
CMSgt James C. Masura<br />
SMSgt Randy Lewis<br />
SMSgt Terry L. Wolford<br />
313 AS, JB Lewis-McChord, WA<br />
CMSgt Ronald A. Campeau<br />
MSgt Ernest J. Barrer<br />
728 AS, JB Lewis-McChord, WA<br />
SMSgt Robert J. Bertsch<br />
MSgt Thomas A. Mazzuca<br />
8,500 HOURS<br />
97 AS, JB Lewis McChord, WA<br />
Lt Col Gregory G. Wittman<br />
200 AS, Peterson AFB, CO<br />
Lt Col James L. Lawrence<br />
313 AS, JB Lewis-McChord, WA<br />
Lt Col Michael R. Blumenschein<br />
Lt Col Mark G. Hahn<br />
Lt Col Steven M. Hedden<br />
Lt Col Colin J. Keen<br />
Lt Col Derek L. Leckrone<br />
SMSgt Ty E. Brooks<br />
728 AS, JB Lewis-McChord, WA<br />
CMSgt David L. Kist<br />
SMSgt Derek O. Bryant<br />
7,500 HOURS<br />
97 AS, JB Lewis McChord, WA<br />
MSgt Timothy G. Reed<br />
313 AS, JB Lewis-McChord, WA<br />
MSgt John P. Sadorf<br />
MSgt Robert P. Withrow<br />
728 AS, JB Lewis-McChord, WA<br />
Lt Col Robert B. Sawyer<br />
Lt Col Christopher B.<br />
Wallington<br />
6,500 HOURS<br />
1 AS, JB Andrews, MD<br />
Lt Col Brian Bartee<br />
97 AS, JB Lewis McChord, WA<br />
Lt Col Jason N. Allen<br />
Lt Col Hans W. Bley<br />
Lt Col Stephen A. Logan<br />
MSgt Michael J. Mundell<br />
313 AS, JB Lewis-McChord, WA<br />
Lt Col Stacy G. O’Neal<br />
Lt Col Douglas R. Patterson<br />
Lt Col Paul C. Pearson<br />
Lt Col Suchan Slack<br />
CMSgt Randy T. Griggs<br />
SMSgt Thomas C. Morawek<br />
MSgt David J. Lewis<br />
TSgt Christopher A. Cohen<br />
TSgt Brian D. Nichols<br />
728 AS, JB Lewis-McChord, WA<br />
Lt Col Ernst B. Coumou<br />
Lt Col Timothy M. Davis<br />
Lt Col Timothy G. Greminger<br />
Lt Col Michael D. Moore<br />
Maj Bradley D. White<br />
MSgt Thomas J. Emmert Jr.<br />
5,000 HOURS<br />
1 AS, JB Andrews, MD<br />
Lt Col David Bohnen<br />
Lt Col Susan Foy<br />
Lt Col David Grein<br />
Lt Col Thomas Kootsikas<br />
MSgt William Wilson<br />
6 AS, JB McGuire-Dix-<br />
Lakehurst, NJ<br />
TSgt Jason P. Scaffidi<br />
40 AS, Dyess AFB, TX<br />
MSgt Bradley E. Nulf<br />
97 AS, JB Lewis McChord, WA<br />
Col Scott A. Snyder<br />
Lt Col Thomas N. Jensen<br />
Lt Col Christopher B. Klopping<br />
Lt Col Charles J. Metzgar<br />
Lt Col Joseph M. Nauman<br />
Lt Col Frank C. Nisco<br />
Maj Jason L. Dekruyf<br />
Maj Jennifer C. Kelsey<br />
Maj Jeffrey C. Woods<br />
SMSgt Kelly B. Henderson<br />
MSgt Brian K. Petro<br />
MSgt Woodson W. Wright<br />
99 AS, JB Andrews, MD<br />
Lt Col Raymond Chehy<br />
313 AS, JB Lewis-McChord, WA<br />
Lt Col Jonathan L. Bowser<br />
Lt Col John K. Caplinger<br />
Lt Col Charles E. Corrigan<br />
Lt Col Jeffrey J. Furrer<br />
Lt Col Michael W. Haedt<br />
Lt Col David R. Latham<br />
Lt Col Russell W. Parker<br />
MSgt Craig E. Johnson<br />
MSgt Alton M. Staten<br />
TSgt Timmy J. Long<br />
728 AS, JB Lewis-McChord, WA<br />
Col Scott L. McLaughlin<br />
Lt Col William J. Eberhardt<br />
Lt Col Steven M. Kurpius<br />
Maj Casey E. Guerrero<br />
SMSgt Marshall S. Dellinger<br />
36<br />
The Mobility Forum
MISHAP-FREE<br />
FLYING HOUR MILESTONES<br />
MSgt Ronald M. Smith<br />
TSgt Leonard L. Dewitt<br />
3,500 HOURS<br />
1 AS, JB Andrews, MD<br />
Lt Col Michael Freimarck<br />
Lt Col Steve Jones<br />
Maj Matthew Distefano<br />
Maj Jachin Finch<br />
Maj Michael Maddox<br />
Maj Luke Urish<br />
Maj Joshua White<br />
TSgt Loretta Covert<br />
6 AS, JB McGuire-Dix-<br />
Lakehurst, NJ<br />
Lt Col Ryan E. Vanderveen<br />
Maj Brian P. Carran<br />
Maj Michael J. Dorrell<br />
Maj Jeremy J. Lydic<br />
Maj Christopher A. Reid<br />
Maj Michael A. Talley<br />
SMSgt Jamey L. Caskey<br />
MSgt Scott T. Shrier<br />
TSgt Kyle J. Roen<br />
SSgt Vincent B. Camacho<br />
SSgt Dustin L. Franklin<br />
SSgt Jeremy A. McCray<br />
SSgt Matthew D. McGehee<br />
91 ARS, MacDill AFB, FL<br />
Lt Col Travis T. Diltz<br />
Maj Michael E. Sankey<br />
Capt Ryland U. Tecson<br />
MSgt Rory C. Wilcox II<br />
TSgt Michael M. Fagan<br />
97 AS, JB Lewis McChord, WA<br />
Lt Col Scott K. Amerman<br />
Lt Col Michael V. Bautista<br />
Lt Col Mark H. Boyd<br />
Lt Col William B. Budge<br />
Lt Col Robert H. Campbell<br />
Lt Col Steven A. Funanich<br />
Lt Col Marc A. Miller<br />
Lt Col Jeffrey R. Sparrow<br />
Lt Col Kevin A. Whittaker<br />
Maj Eugene D. Ballou<br />
Maj Tammi S. Bauer<br />
Maj Bruce H. Cohn<br />
Maj Matthew P. Crockett<br />
Maj Dennis R. Frisbee<br />
Maj Colby R. Harrell<br />
Maj Brian P. Odell<br />
Maj Kyle S. Ott<br />
Maj Brian M. Vizzone<br />
Capt John S. Putnam<br />
MSgt Donald Allen<br />
TSgt Chad J. Poundstone<br />
310 AS, MacDill AFB, FL<br />
Lt Col Edward B. Grundel<br />
Maj Nicholas E. Robbins<br />
313 AS, JB Lewis-McChord, WA<br />
Col Gerry A. Signorelli<br />
Lt Col Daniel P. Bishop<br />
Lt Col Mark A. Brown<br />
Lt Col Stephen T. Burrington<br />
Lt Col Kenneth M. Jambor<br />
Lt Col Maurice H. Kidney<br />
Lt Col Ronald L. Limes<br />
Lt Col Rob S. Luzader<br />
Lt Col Benjamin J. Morley<br />
Lt Col John J. Scacciotti<br />
Lt Col Justin S. Tomlinson<br />
Lt Col Eric W. Vontroth<br />
Maj Jason M. Dunham<br />
Maj Brendan P. Harrison<br />
Maj Michael S. Masuda<br />
Maj Kenneth H. Strunk<br />
SMSgt Mark A. Riekena<br />
TSgt Brian A. Campbell<br />
728 AS, JB Lewis-McChord, WA<br />
Lt Col Grant E. Dysle<br />
Lt Col Jonathan E. Karnes<br />
Lt Col Kevin M. Peterson<br />
Lt Col Jason W. Taylor<br />
Lt Col Laura A. Theodorson<br />
Maj Sean D. Angus<br />
Maj Samuel A. Arieff<br />
Maj James M. Bieker<br />
Maj Colin M. Edwards<br />
Maj Matthew G. Geiger<br />
Maj Robert H. Hardenstine<br />
Maj Darin J. Kolb<br />
Maj Robert T. Selmer<br />
Maj Kevin G. Severe<br />
Maj Patrick G. Smith<br />
Maj Michele R. Wanner<br />
Capt Weston A. Sewall<br />
MSgt Wesley J. Acdal<br />
MSgt Scott S. Hesse<br />
MSgt Christopher M. Ping<br />
TSgt Joseph A. Cimino<br />
TSgt Peter J. Olsufka<br />
SSgt Kevin A. Johnson<br />
2,500 HOURS<br />
1 AS, JB Andrews, MD<br />
Maj Barry Weaver<br />
MSgt Josiah Martin<br />
SSgt David Freeman<br />
6 AS, JB McGuire-Dix-<br />
Lakehurst, NJ<br />
Col Brian J. Ede<br />
Col John F. Price<br />
Lt Col Michael J. Durband<br />
Lt Col Brian O. Hinken<br />
Maj Brant A. Dixon<br />
Maj Jeremy J. Kahoe<br />
Maj Geoffrey D. Osborn<br />
Maj Michael A. Talley<br />
Fall 2015 37
MISHAP-FREE<br />
FLYING HOUR MILESTONES<br />
Capt Bradley S. Clemmons<br />
Capt Gregory S. Gaudet<br />
Capt John N. Gremminger<br />
Capt Shawn M. Joaquin<br />
Capt William S. MacVittie<br />
Capt Nichole M. Stenstad<br />
Msgt Levy O. Menjivar-Sanchez<br />
SSgt Nicholas D. Cook<br />
SSgt Colton M. Desmarais<br />
SSgt Jennifer A. Drane<br />
SSgt Tristan C. Heltzel<br />
SSgt Crystal R. Malsom<br />
91 ARS, MacDill AFB, FL<br />
Col Brian N. Smith<br />
Col Daniel H. Tulley<br />
Lt Col Adrian R. Byers<br />
Lt Col Jeremy E. Learned<br />
Lt Col Bradford J. Mate<br />
Lt Col Curtis C. White<br />
Maj Ryan F. Covahey<br />
Maj Scott S. Korell<br />
Maj Jeff A. Lascurain<br />
Maj Sean C. Ley<br />
Maj Ryan L. Ransom<br />
Maj Matthew A. Swee<br />
Maj Jeremiah C. Trawick<br />
Maj Adam R. Watkins<br />
Capt Daniel H. Fenwick<br />
Capt Justin M. Tubiolo<br />
SMSgt Benjamin L. Cobb<br />
TSgt Lamar R. Daniel<br />
TSgt John W. Hester<br />
SSgt Jacob S. Jewell<br />
SSgt Brandon M. Roberts<br />
97 AS, JB Lewis McChord, WA<br />
Lt Col Ronald K. McMinn<br />
Maj Joshua T. Anderson<br />
Maj John W. Burnett<br />
Maj Michael D. Geiger<br />
Maj Patrick R. Hancock<br />
Maj Chad F. Manning<br />
Maj Rachel M. Metzgar<br />
Maj Thomas K. Minzak<br />
Maj Bryan D. Parker<br />
Maj Hayden M. Scott<br />
Capt Mark R. Fuller<br />
Capt Jeffrey N. Huiatt<br />
Capt Richard S. Matthews<br />
Capt Steven T. Rapp<br />
MSgt Peter E. Jordan<br />
TSgt Adrienne A. Gariglio<br />
TSgt Justin U. Hoapili<br />
TSgt Chris A. Kelley<br />
TSgt Benjamin J. Lee<br />
TSgt Raymond W. Meyers<br />
TSgt Jerome A. Wald III<br />
TSgt Jason R. Walsh<br />
TSgt Joseph P. Zinnecker<br />
SSgt Kelsey D. Kelley<br />
200 AS, Peterson AFB, CO<br />
Maj Coy W. Egbert<br />
Maj Brian M. Jacobsen<br />
Maj Derek R. Rhinesmith<br />
310 AS, MacDill AFB, FL<br />
Maj Eduardo S. Buenviaje Jr.<br />
Capt Robin M. Parrish<br />
SSgt Kevin Sanchez<br />
313 AS, JB Lewis-McChord, WA<br />
Lt Col Jennie M. Steldt<br />
Maj Nathaniel S. Amidon<br />
Maj Tobhiyah Benefield<br />
Maj Bryan M. Clune<br />
Maj Russell M. Hanks<br />
Maj Heather A. Huot<br />
Maj Nathan D. Koss<br />
Maj Roderick H. Morris<br />
Maj Stephanie J. Severe<br />
Maj Richard G. Vance<br />
Maj Joshua A. Westby<br />
Maj Jared W. Wood<br />
Capt Brad L. Montgomery<br />
Capt Franklin T. Sevey<br />
TSgt Phillip D. Derenski<br />
TSgt Timothy J. Raymon<br />
TSgt Gary T. Washington<br />
TSgt Kevin B. Wetzel<br />
SSgt Nicholas S. Hoffman<br />
728 AS, JB Lewis-McChord, WA<br />
Maj Casey J. Collier<br />
Maj Joshua A. Ellis<br />
Maj Michael J. Flonacher<br />
Maj Peter R. Grossenbach<br />
Maj Scott C. Jones<br />
Maj Avi S. Peres<br />
Maj Peter J. Raber<br />
Maj Matthew G. Riewe<br />
Maj Jason M. Wilbur<br />
MSgt Lance E. Nelson<br />
TSgt Jon D. Polka<br />
TSgt Andrew D. Thatcher<br />
TSgt Mark A. Wilson<br />
SSgt Kelly R. Charles<br />
SUBMITTING MISHAP-FREE FLYING HOUR MILESTONES<br />
To submit mishap-free flying hour milestones, send your request to:<br />
mobilityforum@us.af.mil HQ AMC/SEE, 618.229.0927 (DSN 779)<br />
Please submit as shown in the listings above (first name, last name, sorted alphabetically within rank).<br />
38<br />
The Mobility Forum
QUICKSTOPPERS<br />
FAA Dirty Dozen: Common Causes<br />
of Human Factor Errors<br />
These come from the FAA but apply to AF aviation<br />
as well.<br />
1. Lack of Communication – Failure to transmit, receive<br />
or provide enough information to complete a task.<br />
Never assume anything.<br />
By MR. STEVE PANGER,<br />
AMC Flight Safety<br />
There are many methods and tools to overcome each of<br />
these: CRM, LRM and AvORM are but a few. The biggest<br />
thing is to communicate with your crew or team members<br />
(see #1) when something does not look right.<br />
2. Complacency – Overconfidence from repeated<br />
experience performing a task.<br />
3. Lack of Knowledge – Shortage of the training,<br />
information and/or ability to perform successfully.<br />
4. Distractions – Anything that draws your attention<br />
away from the task at hand. Distractions are the #1<br />
cause of forgetting things, including what has or has<br />
not been done in a maintenance task.<br />
5. Lack of Teamwork – Failure to work together to<br />
complete a shared goal.<br />
6. Fatigue – Physical or mental exhaustion threatening<br />
work performance.<br />
7. Lack of Resources – Not having enough people,<br />
equipment, documentation, time, parts, etc., to<br />
complete a task.<br />
8. Pressure – Real or perceived forces demanding highlevel<br />
job performance.<br />
9. Lack of Assertiveness – Failure to speak up or<br />
document concerns about instructions, orders, or the<br />
actions of others.<br />
10. Stress – A physical, chemical, or emotional factor that<br />
causes physical or mental tension.<br />
11. Lack of Awareness – Failure to recognize a situation,<br />
understand what it is, and predict the possible results.<br />
12. Norms – Expected, yet unwritten, rules of behavior.<br />
TSgt Waldell Graves, a C-5M Super<br />
Galaxy flight engineer (instructor) with<br />
the 9th AS monitors aircraft systems<br />
closely from a standing position in the<br />
cockpit during a training mission.<br />
USAF photo by greg l. dAViS<br />
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 2015-545-114.<br />
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office.<br />
Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512-1800; DC area (202) 512-1800<br />
Fax: (202) 512-2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402-0001<br />
Fall 2015 39
A DAY<br />
IN THE LIFE<br />
86th Civil Engineer Squadron<br />
SrA Mark Morris, 86th Civil Engineer Squadron fire truck<br />
operator, answers Ramstein Middle and High School<br />
students’ questions during Job Shadow Day at Ramstein<br />
AB, Germany. Students had the opportunity to learn<br />
about the different careers the Air Force has to offer by<br />
touring facilities and receiving hands-on lessons.<br />
USAF photo by A1C Larissa Greatwood